Boha

The Boha country or forensic bagpipe is a wind instrument that is used in the music of the French region of the country. More specifically, it is a bagpipe with a single reed. It is small and has only a single Bordunrohr, which is integrated into the melody pipe pilhet mentioned.

The name comes from the verb Boha bohar, which means " breathe " in gascognisch. The players of the country Saxon bagpipe called bohaires.

Distribution and history

The Boha was widespread since the 19th century in the area of ​​the Landes, Gironde and Lot- et- Garonne. Félix Arnaudin drew on many testimonies of players in the country Saxon bagpipe and devoted a section in the first volume of his work Des chants populaires de la Grande Lande (1912). At the beginning of the 20th century Boha got more and more into oblivion. In the 1920s there were about 30 players. Justin ( " Jeanty " ) Benquet, born in Pindères is regarded as one of the last bohaires. He died in 1957. During the 1970s, instrument makers discovered the bagpipes again and began to build it again. The Association Bohaires de Gasconha founded in 1993 has set itself the goal to revive this instrument and the culture associated with them again. Today there are over 200 players of boha.

Method of construction

The Boha consists of four main parts:

The model on the picture is a reconstruction that has some common extensions (number of finger holes, key, drones, etc.). They allow you to play an expanded repertoire. The original Bohas that are used for the traditional repertoire, only five finger holes on the top of pilhet and a hole on the back. Also, the overall appearance is quite different.

Play

The Boha part of dance culture and to accompany dances such as the Rondeau, the mazurka, the polka, the waltz, the Scottish ...

The Boha is exceptional among the bagpipes. While they originally had a simple sheet of pipe that produce plastic tabs that are used instead recently, a sound which is quite different from the original tone. But you have the advantage that they are very stable in the long run.

But the real peculiarity arises from the drone. First, it can be changed by the stopper is closed or opened in Bourdun. For example, sounds with a pilhet in G of the drone also in G if the handle hole is open, and in D when it is closed. Thus, a rhythm are generated to accompany such dance.

If one decreases the brunider, will not sound when the handle is closed, the hole drones more D but F (assuming that is pilhet in G). Therefore, the brunider is taken to play pieces in a minor key (for example, A minor ).

A bagpipe with similar variable Bordunsystem is the Hungarian bagpipe Duda.