Spanish Bagpipes???

This post is going to be short, because if I don't take a siesta, I'm worried that I might fall asleep during this evening's film class.  Last night I went to my last Noche de Fonsceca (the summer performance series here in Salamanca).  As usual, it began at 11:00pm, and the heat wave that we're experiencing left me slightly less comfortable than I would have hoped in an outdoor performance space at such an hour.  It didn't matter once the concert started, however, because we were all too impressed with the lead musician to care about the weather.

Carlos Nuñez is an internationally famous gaita (bagpipe) player from Galicia.  Galicia, the most northwestern autonomous community of Spain, is that part of the country that looks like Portugal's fingernail on the map.  Ancient Celtic tribes inhabited the area prior to the expansion of the Roman Empire, and there is actually earlier evidence of the presence of bagpipes in Galicia than in Scotland or Ireland. One of Nuñez's goals is to promote this unique aspect of Galician culture, and to increase appreciation for Celtic music.  In addition to his regular band, he invited local musicians and many youths to perform with him at last night's concert, and encouraged each of them to introduce themselves and share a little about where they typically perform or rehearse.  I found it really admirable that he chose to use his own performance time to promote the musical craft of others.

One of the other things that I really enjoyed about the concert was that before each song, Nuñez took a moment to explain a bit of its historical context, and shared a story connected to it when possible.  He also explained the nuances between different types of bagpipes, whistles and other instruments that he played (and he played many different kinds!), as well as their area of origin.

The aforementioned factors already made for a really entertaining show, but it should go without saying that the most memorable part was the music.  The variety and talent of Nuñez and his accompanists were evident, and he found ways to make ancient music current and relevant.  The stage lights changed with the beat of different songs, he had everyone clapping along, and by the end of the concert people where dancing in front of their seats and even on the stage.  It was by far my favorite of the three performances I have seen, and I look forward to sharing this surprisingly Spanish musical tradition with my students.  I also would definitely buy tickets to a Carlos Nuñez performance the next time he's in the United States (the last time he was there, he held a concert at the Library of Congress).  For anyone who is curious, here is a sample of one of his concerts.

OK, that's it for now, as returning to my room at 1:30am this morning has left me feeling a bit exhausted.  Stay tuned for more info about tonight's Vino de Honor, a special dinner with our professors!