Txalaparta
It
is difficult to say with certainty what “txalaparta” were and for what
they were utilized. They date from ancient times, some claim from the
pre-historic era. They are two thick wood staffs, that are struck down
upon a hard surface in a rhythmic fashion. The only known tune that has
been retained comes from the siderias
or cider houses, producers of popular sabardoa
or cider wine. It is possible that the txalapartak owe their origin to
these cider houses. They used them to notify the surrounding community (up
to ten kilometres away) of the new batch of cider wine that was ready.
Villagers would then arrive to testsamples and decide if they wanted to
buy a portion.
Txistu
This
is most likely the first musical instrument unique to the Basque Country.
It is like a flute, only with four holes, which is held and played by the
left hand. The right hand holds a drumstick with which to strike the tamboril or drum which is suspended from the left arm. Investigators
believe the original txistus to have been constructed of animal bones,
most likely the bones of oxen. Later versions were made of wood, and
recently metal and nylon have been in use. One fossil remain of a txistu
has been dated to be over 27 000 years old. After centuries of
technical perfection and experimentation, it is now common to see txistu
and the silbote, or larger size
version of a txistu, all play different melodies. They are accompanied by
the atabal or drum.
Tobera
The
tobera are very similar to the txalapartak except that they are made of
iron in place of wood. They are often used to celebrate and proclaim
weddings.
Dulzaina
In
Basque, the Bolin Goxo comes from a diversified family of instruments from
the
Trikitixa
Includes
an accordionist and tambourine player that help to enliven Basque
gatherings and festivals. It was first introduced into the Basque Country
in the provinces of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa towards the end of the last
century.
Txalaparta
Txistua
Attabala
Danbolina
