FOLK MUSIC

Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music produced by communal composition. By the late 19th century the concept of ‘folk’ had become a synonym for ‘nation’, usually identified as peasants and rural artisans. Folk music was normally shared and performed by the entire community (not by a special class of expert or professional performers), and was transmitted by word of mouth (oral tradition). In addition, folk music was also borrowed by composers in other genres as classical music. GALICIAN FOLK MUSIC HISTORY

MIDDLE AGES The origin of traditional Galician music is dark. The earliest reference dates back to medieval music, yet it retains several songbooks generally do not include musical notation. An exception was Martin Codax (troubadour of the 13th Century), because two scores are kept with the lyrics and music for his composition. Significant also are the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X, not only to include the music and show illustrations of people playing bagpipes and other traditional instruments, but also for their importance of the Galician culture of the Middle Ages. It is known that the bagpipe was common at that time, and in general the main instruments were already present in traditional music: bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy (organistrum) and string instruments appear in codices, or in the well-known Pórtico da Gloria of the Cathedral of Santiago. These representations allow the reconstruction of the instruments and make possible the current interpretations of medieval music nowdays. DARK AGES Coinciding with the Dark Ages and the decline of the use of the Galician language, the traditional music turns out to be only oral transmission: christmas songs, lullabies, songs of blind. EARLY XX CENTURY The Galician folk revival began on early 20th century, with performers like Perfecto Feijoó, a bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy player. The first commercial recording of Galician music had come in 1904, by a choir called Aires d'a Terra from Pontevedra.           REGIME OF FRANCO During the regime of Franco, the music has been forced to adapt to the political vision of the moment with patriotic performances in Spanish language, which led to the decline of traditional styles. LATE XX  CENTURY When Franco's regime ended in 1975, Galician music experienced a strong revival and recordings flourished. The establishment of the Festival Internacional do Mundo Celta (Ortigueira 1977) helped establish some Galician bands. Aspiring performers began working with bands like Os Areeiras de Catoira, Os Rosales, Os Campaneiros, learning their folk styles; others went to the renowned workshop of Antón Corral (a bagpipe luthier) at the Universidade Popular de Vigo. Some of these musicians then formed their own bands, like Milladoiro.  In the 1980s and 1990s, some Galician performers began to win fame within Spain sand the international celtic folk scene.               Galician musicians of this period included Uxía or Mercedes Peón (singers), Fía na Roca (folk band), Carlos Núñez, Xosé Manuel Budiño, Cristina Pato  or Susana Seivane (modern Galician bagpipes players).