The Other Bagpipes: Exotic and Lesser-Known Piping Traditions of the World
For a thousand years, across Europe, North Africa, and much of the Near East, rural people danced to, performed rituals with, and treasured the music of their indigenous bagpipes-once one of the most ubiquitous of folk instruments. Now the bagpipe is most often thought of as a uniquely Scottish instrument, a circumstance largely due to the British Army's use of Scottish regiments as the vanguard in their creation of the British Empire.
This evening's entertainment aims to introduce listeners to the bagpipes of many cultures, along with a bit of the folklore associated with this powerful, beguiling, almost shamanic instrument. The piping traditions of Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, and Tunisia will be represented. The pipes of these countries range from grand in size to petite, and in sound volume and timbre from strident to suave. The pipes themselves are marvelous cultural icons to look at-each unique, and each chosen to represent a particular type, or family of instruments.
KEVIN CARR
Traditional Musician
Kevin Carr has performed music of traditional cultures for more than thirty years. He received an NEA grant to study Irish folk fiddling in the 1970s, spent much time in the 1980s pursuing French Canadian fiddling, and simultaneously began a study of Irish Uilleann bagpipes. He has learned from many teachers in the US, Spain, and Ireland, and has amassed a collection of bagpipes that are exemplars of some of the main traditions in the renascent piping of several European cultures. He currently performs as a member of Wake the Dead, a popular Celtic jam band, and with Hillbillies from Mars, an eclectic dance band. He also performs as a storyteller, and has released several recordings of his storytelling. Carr is considered one of the most accomplished traditional musicians on the West Coast.