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alborada?

alborada?

i have been listening to some galician music, the "celtic music of spain". i keep coming across the name of a musical form, "alborada". when i googled it, all i got was the name of some on-going soap opera by that name???

can anybody tell me about this musical form? i find them to be very recognizable, but i'm not musically articulate enough to say why.

thanks

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by full measure

Re: alborada?

Be aware that Galician music is not "the" celtic music of spain. The Asturians would be put out. It's also worth noting that the Galicians and Asturians don't really see themselves as Spanish.

Anyway, that aside, An Alborada is a dance.

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by llig leahcim

Re: alborada?

Alborada is not a dance. They are pipe tunes in 2/4. During the day (or days) of the feast of the saint patron of the villages, a piper and a drummer (or a pipe band in recent times) march along the streets and paths. 'Alborada' means 'dawn', as they are the first tunes played in the morning.
By the way, celt tribes settled on at least the northern half of the Iberian peninsula.

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by Ramiro

Re: alborada?

Eh? but the Reconquista started in Asturias, did it not?

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad

Re: alborada?

(that q was to Michael)

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad

Re: alborada?

Thanks Ramiro. I stand corrected.

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by llig leahcim

Re: alborada?

Is alborada a colloquial word?
Isn't amanecer = dawn?

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad

Re: alborada?

thanks, all, this gives me something to go on.

it was twelve below zero F here this morning, making me wish i could take a trip to spain and environs to check it all out...meanwhile, i'll keep looking around.

at least we didn't have any earthquakes...

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by full measure

Re: alborada?

Galicia and Asturias, adjacent and with a degree of Celtic background, must have quite a bit in common. What - fairly concisely - are their significant defining characteristics and differences? Discuss, please.

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by nicholas

Re: alborada?

what nicholas said, and especially with regard to music?

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by full measure

Re: alborada?

KML, you're right, 'amanecer' is the word we usually employ for 'dawn'. 'Alba' is a somewhat poetic synonym, not too much used
in daily speech. 'Albor' is the light of 'alba'. The Spanish Royal Academy of Language dictionary defines alborada as the time of dawn, musical or poetic composition played at dawn, a military action at dawn or military music played at dawn:
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=alborada

Nicholas, if you are asking about differences in music, the forms are more or less the same. But we Galicians are more handsome :-)

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by Ramiro

Re: alborada?

I am so glad you are a member Ramiro, always valued comment... I have to get a recommended list of listens from you, maybe a future discussion. Music and poetry, yes!!!

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by ceolachan

Re: alborada?

One of the best musical experiences I've had, as far as sessions, included a visiting Galician couple, pipes and tamborine ~ WOW! The music was easy to pick up and a joy and we played as much of that as we did our regular fare, and they joined in it all... If I had to pick a percussionist, I'd take her tamborine over most bodhran players. It danced, it was magnificent... And they were a load of fun, lots of smiles and luaghter, just from the joy of the music shared...

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by ceolachan

Re: alborada?

The tamborine... tambourine?
A lethal weapon in the wrong hands.
Used traditionally for accompanying singing:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6R45qPbxiOg (don't know why the video is slowed down)

# Posted on February 29th 2008 by Ramiro

Re: alborada?

Ramiro, that was a great youtube. i like this, as well:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2oqv4_milladoiro-alborada-de-corcubion_music

# Posted on March 1st 2008 by full measure

Re: alborada?

The video of the Os Abrentes pipers and others was impressive.

# Posted on March 1st 2008 by nicholas

Re: alborada?

Ramiro, I loved it... I was grinning through it all... I'd forgotten, I've actually danced that... Those are the kind of folks I would gladly pass time with...

http://www.osabrentes.com/

# Posted on March 1st 2008 by ceolachan

Re: alborada?

Yes! ~ fortunately this tamborine player was gifted... It is the same problem we have with the bodhran...

"A lethal weapon in the wrong hands." ~ !!!

# Posted on March 1st 2008 by ceolachan

Re: alborada?

Thankyou, Ramiro and full measure; lovely lovely music.

# Posted on March 1st 2008 by john knoss

Re: alborada?

Glad you like it.
Full measure, Milladoiro is a band with a long history behind, and they are IMO some of the Galician finest musicians:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milladoiro
http://www.milladoiro.com/
I particularly enjoy their 4 first recordings. 'Milladoiro 3' is a gem.
'Aires de Pontevedra' in LĂșnasa's Merry Sisters OF Fate http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4587 is clearly based on the arrangements in Miladoiro 3. LĂșnasa does a good job, by the way.

# Posted on March 1st 2008 by Ramiro

Re: alborada?

thank you Ramiro. I have Milladoiro's 25 cd, but will check out 3 when i next have the budget for a new cd.

i have also enjoyed a piece from a Liam O'Flynn cd called the Piper's Call, it is called Galician Marches. I don't have the cd, but it was on the radio. the first march was played very slowly, and the second a bit faster, was my favorite, an alborada i think.

i am very grateful to you for all this great information!

# Posted on March 2nd 2008 by full measure

Re: alborada?

check this out
second tune is alborada
played by Felpeyu from Asturias
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_NhjEP72gYs

# Posted on March 4th 2008 by padre

Re: alborada?

Go raibh ma'agat padre, thanks! A lovely day, lovely music, fun video work, and I especially love the little catch at the end, 'in memory', that was particularly beautiful...

# Posted on March 4th 2008 by ceolachan

Re: alborada?

Interesting. Classical guitartist Francisco Tarrega (1915 or earlier?)composed a piece he called Alborada. Anybody familiar with it? I've never heard it performed, and it never would have dawned on me to give it a pipery feel; I'll have to revisit it!

# Posted on March 5th 2008 by cuchulain54

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