The group, named after a wild sheep which lives in Corsica's mountain regions, got together in the late 70's. Brothers Jean François and Alain Bernardini, the founding members and driving force behind I Muvrini, grew up in a creative musical environment. Their father Ghjuliu frequently transformed the family home into a recording studio and it was Bernardini senior who introduced his sons to the traditional polyphonic music of their homeland. Jean François and Alain went on to discover folk song and world music, but their father remained an important figure in their musical career. Indeed, I Muvrini recorded their first two singles with Ghjuliu Bernardini and the group's début album, "I Muvrini ... ti ringrazianu", (released in 1979) was dedicated to his memory.(Ghjuliu Bernardini died in 1977).

On their second album, "Anu da vulta" (They Will Come Back), I Muvrini began fusing traditional music with their own compositions, creating an instantly recognisable style. The group also placed Corsican identity at the very core of their sound. Indeed, the title of I Muvrini's second album was an open reference to the famous Corsican political prisoners of the late 70's. The group went on to set up a number of special music schools aimed at teaching Corsican children about their musical and cultural heritage. I Muvrini's following two albums would be recorded with the help of these "scola aperta".

1981: "E campa qui"

I Muvrini's big breakthrough in 1981 came with the release of their album "E campa qui" (Living Here). Released at a time when independent local radio stations were springing up all over Corsica, this album received extensive airplay and attracted the group a wide following of fans.

I Muvrini soon went on to become the leading lights of the Corsican music scene and the group used their new position to spread a powerful political message through their music. I Muvrini also began to play an active role in local political life. This commitment would only serve to increase the group's popularity. I Muvrini's concerts would become major events in the Corsican calendar, drawing crowds of several thousand.

One of the highlights of I Muvrini's career was the group's 1984 album "Lacrime", on which the distinctive I Muvrini style was honed to absolute perfection. Following the success of this album the group decided it was time to set up their own production company. After overcoming several major obstacles and putting in an enormous amount of work, I Muvrini finally created their own company AGFB (which would go on to become Corsica's leading independent label).

Meanwhile, the group's recording career continued to go from strength to strength and in 1985 I Muvrini were invited to appear at the famous Printemps de Bourges festival. They also performed in Paris at the Théatre de la Ville and the Bobino. I Muvrini were now beginning to make a name for themselves outside their homeland and their innovative polyphonic sound would go on to prove a huge hit throughout Europe.

1988: "Pé l'amore di té"

I Muvrini recorded their next album in Paris. Released in 1988, "Pé l'amore di té" proved enormously successful, going on to sell over 300,000 copies. I Muvrini's following album "Quorum" was recorded in Toulouse in 1989. Dedicated to the fans who had been loyally following them for the past ten years, this album also proved to be a great success.

After recording their first live album, "In Core", in 1990, I Muvrini broadened their musical horizons. The group's next album "A voce rivolta" (At the Top Of Our Voices) moved away from their traditional sound and integrated a whole new range of musical influences. I Muvrini went on to arrange a series of concerts in Italy through their own production company, performing in Naples and Florence in April 1992. The group would then play at Le Zénith, one of the top concert venues in Paris.

I Muvrini were beginning to prove as popular with other musicians as they were with the general public. After going into the recording studio with French star Jacques Dutronc to work on his 1990 album (I Muvrini were featured on the track "Corsica"), the group went on to work with the well-known French singer Michel Fugain in 1992. Three years later I Muvrini would perform with Véronique Sanson at the Francofolies music festival in La Rochelle.

After signing to the Island label, I Muvrini went back into the studio in 1993 to record their twelfth album "Noi". Released in July of that year, this new album featured twelve original compositions and a traditional a capella song, "Lode". Island took charge of distributing I Muvrini's new album worldwide, but the group insisted on retaining complete control of their album in Corsica.

The summer of 93 was devoted to live concerts. I Muvrini embarked upon a mammoth tour of Corsica, attracting crowds of 80,000 (i.e. a third of the island’s inhabitants!) I Muvrini then travelled to Paris to perform two exceptional concerts at Le Zénith. (A special live album, entitled "I Muvrini au Zénith", was recorded on this occasion and released the following year).

1995: "Curagiu"

1995 and 1996 were to prove years of triumph for I Muvrini. Following the enormous success of their album "Curagiu", which earnt the group a gold disc in 1995, I Muvrini went on to perform another extensive tour. The group's mammoth concert at the Bercy Stadium in Paris on 27 January 1996 resulted in another excellent live album and at the end of that year I Muvrini were invited to perform at the prestigious Parisian music-hall L'Olympia (on 4 December 1996). Two months later the group scored another triumph at the "Victoires de la Musique" awards where their album "Curagiu" was voted Best Traditional Music Album of the Year.

After signing to a new label (EMI), I Muvrini returned to the recording studio to begin work on a new album - their 13^th to date! Released in May 1999, "Leia" (Link) was recorded between studios in Paris and London. The group certainly took advantage of their stay in London. They went into the studio with British superstar Sting to record an excellent Corsican cover/duet of his famous hit "Fields of Gold". Following the release of "Leia", I Muvrini brought the house down at Bercy Stadium in Paris (on 5 and 6 June), before embarking on their ritual summer tour of Corsica.

I Muvrini teamed up with Sting again in the year 2000, recording the duet "Terre d'Oru" which featured on their compilation album "A Strada" released in the spring. The CD, a sort of Greatest Hits selection taken from 13 of the group's albums, included an innovative Corsican cover of the Jacques Brel classic "Amsterdam".

Between 1999 and 2001 the group embarked upon a hectic tour schedule. Highlights of this extended tour included an appearance at the Spa festival in July '99 and a series of performances in leading Paris concert-halls such as the Olympia, Le Zénith (23rd June '99) and Bercy Stadium (14th December 2000). I Muvrini also took part in a number of special Corsican cultural events (such as the polyphonic mass held in the St Jean et Stéphane des Minimes church in Brussels on 23rd January 2000).

Just as Raï star Cheb Mami enjoyed phenomenal international success after recording a single with Sting, I Muvrini's career took off internationally after their duet/cover "Fields of Gold". The group went on to perform an 8-date tour of North America in July 2001 then returned to France to perform at a series of summer music festivals before heading off for their ritual tour of Corsica in August.

Before embarking on a tour of Germany in the autumn of 2001, I Muvrini performed a special concert at the American Church in Paris (on 13 September) to pay tribute to the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in the States. Fans had hoped to find copies of the group's new album in record stores in the autumn of 2001, but I Muvrini's hectic schedule meant that recording was delayed. "Umani" is now scheduled for release on 20 August 2002.  

On 19 May 2002 I Muvrini were involved in another special concert raising funds for the Poupet Music Festival in Vendée (which was threatened with closure after locals complained about noise levels).

2002: "Umani"

After taking part in the Nice Jazz Festival in July, and while travelling around Corsica for their usual August tour, the band released a new album entitled "Umani" (Human Beings) at the end of August. The album, which had been preceded by the single "Jalalabad", integrated a whole range of foreign musical influences. Referring to the living conditions of Afghan women, the album featured the collaboration of many artists from very diverse backgrounds, such as French rapper MC Solaar, or Swiss singer Stephan Eicher on "Un Sognu pè Campà". Josefina Fernandes collaborated on "Vogliu"—a track that presented a very interesting blend of Catalan voice and guitar and Corsican polyphony. The Catalan painter Antoni Tapies offered the Corsican band an original painting to serve as a cover for the album. Concurrent to the album release, a book "Umani" by Jean-François Bernardini also came out. Published by Les Editions du Seuil, it gathered together poems, lyrics, and reflections on the Corsican island.

I Muvrini went on to win a "Victoire de la Musique" award in the world music category for "Umani" in 2003. Then, on 9 and 10 May that same year, the Bernardini brothers played to a packed house at Le Zénith in Paris.

Despite their increasing popularity and mainstream ‘world music’ success, the group remained as committed as ever to the struggle for Corsican independence. And Jean François Bernardini used his media fame to speak out on several occasions. In May 2003, he published an "open letter to Madame Erignac" (the widow of the Corsican prefect, assassinated in 1998) in which he publicly analysed the reasons behind the violence on the island which, according to him, was the result of years of injustice and Corsica’s ongoing minority status. The letter sparked major controversy and Jean François Bernardini attempted to justify his views by publishing "Carnet pour Sarah", a collection of literary texts aimed at rehabilitating Corsica’s image on the French mainland.

2005 marked the year of I Muvrini’s comeback on the recording front with "Alma", a new album on which the group continued to open themselves up to the rest of the world. Recorded in studios in Johannesburg and their native Corsican village of Tagliu Isulaccia, "Alma" found Jean-François and Alain Bernardini joining forces with César Anot, a talented bass-player from Ivory Coast. I Muvrini’s Corsican polyphonies also engaged in a cross-cultural dialogue with traditional Zulu choirs from South Africa, who joined the group on their 2005-2006 tour. This tour included a major stadium show at Palais Omnisport de Bercy on 9 December 2005.

In October 2006, a double CD of Jean-François Bernardini reading extracts from his "Carnet pour Sarah" was released. The following month saw the release of a live CD/DVD of I Muvrini in concert at Le Forest National, in Brussels, on 10 December 2005.

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In the course of their successful career, spanning almost 20 years now, I Muvrini have exported Corsican music to the rest of the world, putting their language and culture firmly on the map. Fusing traditional polyphonic sounds with their own original compositions and committed lyrics, I Muvrini continue to spread their message of Corsican brotherhood around the world.

December 2006