Although at first glance, it may seem the most noticeable feature,
the alboka (or albokea,
as Leon Bilbao always called it, albokak has also
been said) is not a "horn", at least not in as much as its sound production is concerned.
The sound is produced by two small single reeds (see photos), and not by labial
vibration, as it is in hunting and signal horns, French horns, trumpets, and other
instruments of that family.
However, if it is true that the etymological root of
its name is found in al-bûq,
then the word itself does, indeed, mean "horn", because I understand it to be the
generic equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon term horn.
A very appropriate term would be hornpipe(1).
Friends of mine from Navarre, who have come to know the instrument through me, call
it "el cuernico" (lit. "the little horn").
Apart from the "little horn" (or, for alboka
players, "big horn", or adar aundie), there is
another one which really is (small, that is)-the adar
txikie, substituted in some cases by a flared wooden piece housing the fitek,
traditionally two small canes that, as mentioned above, serve as reeds.
TRADITIONAL REEDS IN THE ADAR
TXIKIE.
ALBOKA WITH WOODEN
MOUTHPIECE BUILT BY "MUNDI" FLORES, FROM SANTURTZI.
Over these closed cylindrical canes, on one end, (formerly
by the actual knot of the cane, now a plug does the job), a length-wise partial
cut is made from the closed end towards the open end, in such a way that a blade
made from the reed vibrates over the rest, which serves as a base.
REEDS WITH A RUBBER PLUG BUILT
BY JOSE ANTONIO MARTINEZ OSSES, OTAZU.
SHOOT WHERE THE CUT IS MADE
RESPECTING THE KNOT AT THE END.
TRADITIONAL METHOD USED FOR BUILDING REEDS
SLIGHTLY SLOPING INCISION.
TWIST OF THE WRIST TO RAISE
A SHEET.
RAISING IT.
LENGTHENING TO THE REQUIRED
MEASUREMENT.
A bristle (2) introduced into the slot impedes the blade
from sticking to the base, and stops the reed from "choking". Next to it, a ring
made of thread is used for tuning adjustments, shortening or lengthening the vibrating
portion of the reed.
Currently, standard bases are manufactured in plastic or wood,
with separate blades, such as those for clarinet, although smaller. In fact, single-reed
instruments are generically known as clarinets.
REEDS WITH WOODEN BASE BUILT
BY JOSEBA GASTIAIN, FROM ANTZUOLA.
REEDS WITH PLASTIC BASE BUILT
BY JOSE ANTONIO MARTÍNEZ OSSES.
The sound produced by the reeds is transmitted to, and in turn
modulated by two narrow cylindrical pipes –traditionally made from cane,
a pipe handily supplied by nature (3), but now made from turned wood–,
with three and five holes, respectively, the first alligned in pairs from the open
end of the pipe towards its bell. The large horn (4) makes a resonating chamber,
and may or may not be fixed to the wooden yoke (busterrie)
that joins the set together.
1.2
How to Handle the Instrument
The alboka
must be held according to the method of the classic alboka
players. Since Leon Bilbao (Arteaga 1916-1990) was right-handed and Txilibrin (Igorre
1912) was left-handed, we can see that the ring, middle, and index fingers of the
dominant hand are used to cover the three lower pairs of holes, while the middle
and index fingers of the other hand cover the two upper holes on the left pipe.
VIDEO
Leon & Mauriza
VIDEO
Txilibrin
We can see that all albokas
are made for right-handed people: for the positions of Leon and Txilibrin to be
the same, the latter's alboka
would have to have the pipe with five holes at the right of the other (5).
A
TRICK OF THE EYE, NEITHER DID LEON PLAY IN THIS POSITION NOR DID HIS ALBOKAS
HAVE HOLES THERE.
Not all yokes are equally comfortable, and this depends
in an inverse manner on the complexity of their design. Using a right-handed person
as a reference: the right thumb must be vertically alligned with the middle finger,
and as close as possible to it, and this means that the yoke must have a conveniently
situated hole, as well as another one in which to introduce the little and ring
fingers of the left hand, which press the alboka
against the albokari's
face. The left thumb must lean against the small horn, either at the end, or where
it joins the yoke. The right little finger used to hold the bell when it was loose,
but this position is uncomfortable, and when the finger sticks up in the air, the
effect is not aesthetically pleasing. It is better to point it down or to lean it
against the yoke, nearby the bell itself.
ALBOKA BUILT BY TXILIBRIN.
ALBOKA BUILT BY IMANOL
ATXA, FROM BILBAO.
1.3
Producing the Sound
1.3.1 Getting Ready to Blow
One needs to apply a certain amount of pressure so that
the air cannot escape between one's face and the adar
txiki(small horn). The closed ends of the reeds must
be supported just under the lips, and the player must not open his/her mouth very
much. When beginning to blow, the player's tongue pulls back from the inner surface
of the incisors, similarly to the way we do upon pronouncing the letter "t", but
without the sound produced by the vocal chords –only with the breath.
In other words, with what some erroneously call a "stroke of the tongue" (erroneous
because what the tongue actually does is to move away, not strike). Only in this
way it is posible to begin to blow in a definite manner.
1.3.2 Circular Breathing or Continuous Airflow
a) What are we talking about?
It is known that playing the alboka means having to
blow continuously (although I have come across people who equivocally thought that
the sound was obtained as in a harmonica: blowing and inhaling alternatively).
Although the technical term is "continuous insufflation", a
more common term would be "breathing", which actually makes sense, since in order
to blow, one must breathe. In this case, the player must do it bit by bit, without
ever stopping blowing, according to an old technique that is not at all exclusive
to the alboka. (The late Pío Lindegaard,who
directed a radio programme on jazz during half a century in Bilbao [called "Drums
and Bass"], asked me once if this was a traditional technique, or if the alboka
players had copied it from jazz musicians.) It is a widely-used technique for many
traditional wind instruments, as well as in the craft of glass-blowing.
b) Getting rid of preconceived ideas: This technique is
not difficult
Contrary to what has always been said about it, such a widely
used and supposedly ancient technique as this aims to eliminate difficulties, not
to increase them. In fact, we can say that once this technique has been learnt,
playing the alboka isn't more tiring than playing
other standard woodwind instruments; it is probably less tiring. The myth that the
difficulty in playing the alboka lies in the breathing
techniques have been promulgated by the very alboka
players, in order to inflate their own importance, and by many folklore fans wanting
to point out the "special" qualities of this instrument but it hasn't helped the alboka,
to the contrary.
But not only what has been said (6), also what alboka
players have done contributed to exaggerate the issue: the traditional teaching
system consisted of blowing bubbles through a cane in a glass of soapy water, and
no more fancier method than that. As we can see, this method has the advantage that,
even when the teacher cannot think of any other way to explain things, pupils can
continue to learn on their own (an unintentional application of operative conditioning),
and it also has the disadvantage that many will give up, which helps continuing
to confirm the idea that it is difficult.
We must clearly say: it is not difficult, nor is it the most
difficult thing about the alboka.
You will find the necessary exercises on my web-page (http://alboka.net/).
1.4
Size of the Alboka and its Parts (7)
Traditional albokas
are made "by sight", using available materials. The interior diameter of the pipes
themselves is where most variation occurs (from 6 to 8 mm., 7 mm. being the current
standard) and, as a result, the diameter of the reeds varies as well. The acoustic
phenomenon itself is largely important in this sense, because the narrower the pipe,
such as is the case of the alboka,
the more restrictions it imposes on the source of sound: the length of the reed,
and especially the blade must be proportionate to the pipe's one, for to the contrary,
it will not produce a good sound. This length (from 130 to 166 mm.) depended on
the size of the hands of the alboka
player by whom or for whom the alboka
was made. Holes (with a diameter from 3.5 to 5.5 mm.) were equidistant, and placed
where the fingers would fall naturally, and the total length of the pipe always
kept the same proportion regarding the distance between the holes on either end
(8).
1.5
Scale/Range of the Alboka
1.5.1 Starting Point
There has been much talk about this, although not very well
substantiated. The instrument's acoustic base is as follows: the sound emitted by
the reed depends greatly on its vibration, and the latter is subject to change according
to the resonating pipe (down to the end of it, or to a little bit further than a
point of interruption along it, such as that created by an open hole). As indicated
earlier, the narrow pipes of the alboka dictate
the dimensions of the reed.
These differences in length mean, therefore, that the longer
the pipe, the lower the scale. If we take into account the above observations, it
would not be difficult to remake albokas "a priori"
in all the different sizes as documented in fieldwork, and to be able to come to
a conclusion as to whether or not many of the referred ranges really existed, or
if they are results of researchers' methodological mistakes by using inadequate
or not correctly tuned reeds in taking their measurements. There are reasons to
be certain of this in some cases. In order to understand them, we must look at:
a) The Scale that arrived to us:
The intervals of Leon Bilbao's traditional alboka
(without making a distinction between major and minor tones) would be as follows:
Pitches (from
lowest to highest):
Note: On occasion, Leon's alboka
sounded almost as high as today's alboka,
in other words, starting with A (=440 Hz.)
1.
A-flat
2.
Between A and B-flat
3.
C-flat
4.
D-flat
5.
E-flat
6.
F
Pitch intervals
in tones:
3/4
3/4
1
1
1
On the other hand, Txilibrin's range would be:
Pitches (from
lowest to highest):
Note: The "neutral" third (neither major nor minor
with respect to the first) was interpreted by Azkue (1922, pp. 977 and 364) as a
major third, but in nowadays' alboka we have
a minor third, like in Leon's alboka.
1.
A-flat
2.
B-flat
3.
Between C-flat and C (see note)
4.
D-flat
5.
E-flat
6.
F
Pitch intervals
in tones:
1
3/4
3/4
1
1
Thanks to a proposal by J. M. Barrenetxea and P. J. Riezu (1976),
as well as to modern makers such as Jose Antonio Martínez Osses (Otazu) and
Joseba Gastiain (Antzuola) among others, today's albokas
sound one half-tone higher, and not all holes are equidistant, in such a way that
the instrument now approaches a standard "tempered" scale.
Pitches (from highest to lowest):
1.
A (=440 Hz.)
2.
B
3.
C
4.
D
5.
E
6.
F-sharp
Pitch intervals
in tones:
1
1/2
1
1
1
The regularization of intervals was indispensable in order
for the instrument to be able to play with other (non-percussion) instruments, although
another option would have been to begin the scale with G instead of with A (9).
It is, however, this half-tone difference in pitch that distinguishes the timbre
of today's alboka from those of before, since it was a less brilliant but
rounder sound.
b) Fingering for the Alboka:
Classification:
We have already explained how to hold the instrument, but how
does the player cover and uncover the holes in order to produce sounds? Let's look
at it diagramatically (for right-handed players, lifting fingers exaggeratedly,
in order to see more clearly):
1) Basic or Closed Fingering (Leon Bilbao):
MELODIES
LEFT PIPE "A - A" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "B - B" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "C - C" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "D - D" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "E - A" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "F# - A" RIGHT PIPE.
In each position, only one finger will be lifted: "closed fingering":
it continues being so even if one finger would been lifted on each hand, because
only one sound corresponds to each movement upon uncovering holes on different pipes
(such as in grace notes and dual sounds, which we will look at further ahead). Note
in the notation that the A in parentheses is not indispensable.
Fingering stops being "closed" when more than one finger of
the same hand is lifted at the same time. Then, it becomes:
2) Open: When the player uncovers all the holes on a
given pipe (or those notes played by one hand) between the note sounding and the
end of the pipe. Some alboka players use this
system more or less often for reasons of comfort (it is also convenient to test
if the alboka is in tune –tuning diagnosis). For example, Txilibrin:
"C - C"
"D - D" (ASCENDING ONLY)
3) Semi-open or semi-closed:
Two fingers on the same hand (same pipe) are lifted. Usually, while one note is
sounding, the position for the next is prepared. Leon Bilbao played as follows:
"D" FOLLOWED BY B.
"D" FOLLOWED BY C.
"F"
FOLLOWED BY "E"
Application: As we can see, the general rule is that
of a minimum effort. For this reason, there are two types of musical devices for
the alboka that use this "semi-open" fingering:
1. Trills, semi-trills, and more or less quick rolls made up
of two "notes" (whether or not they are adjoining intervals on the scale), as long
as one of them cannot be produced only on the left pipe, and the other may be produced
on both.
2. Mordents or very quick grace notes at the beginning of other
one. When the mordent is done with the left pipe and the other note is not, both
are simultaneous (and the fingering is closed). In all other cases, they are played
in extremely rapid succession (and the fingering is semi-closed).
From this stems the idea that the left tube is not just "melodic",
and the right one is not just a "pedal" or a "redoubling" with low notes (against
the description in Barrenetxea & Riezu, 1976). Many times the melody is played
with the right hand, while the left plays pertinent ornamentation: apart from grace
notes (always descending in the traditional repertory), which have three functions
(duplicating a note that would otherwise have been continuous; accentuating certain
notes; and marking a rhythmic sequence), dual sounds may be played in which either
one of the hands may take the main "voice". Positions for each of these cases are
as follows:
Basic Fingering: Simultaneous mordents and dual sounds.
Note: We will not indicate positions for successive
mordents: any of the fingers of the same hand may be lifted at the same time and
only the one to which the mordent corresponds is put back down very quickly. In
traditional alboka repertory, mordents are always
descending. Also, two fingers of one hand remain lifted for an instant when trills
and semi-trills are played.
MELODIES
LEFT PIPE "E - B" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "E - C" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "E - D" RIGHT PIPE
(ONLY MORDENTS ).
LEFT PIPE "F# - B" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "F# - C" RIGHT PIPE.
LEFT PIPE "F# - D" RIGHT PIPE.
As we can see, some of the possible combinations have not been
used except for mordents. It is logical that an E/D dual sound is not held for too
long, since it is a dissonance. There are other possible combinations, if, with
the right hand we do not obstruct both tubes at the same time, although we will
not be covering them in this work.
1.5.2 A Refresher about the Scale.
There is one necessary conclusion: except in a few cases of
dual sounds, the 5th and 6th steps of the scale are always accompanied by the 1st.
However, the interval between the 1st and the 5th steps is a perfect fifth (3/2
proportion) in the live example of a traditional alboka
(as seen perfectly in the case of Leon Bilbao). But the consonance of this interval
is a universal phenomenon of the human ear, and we do not believe that this interval,
if out-of-tune, sounded good to alboka players
or to their public. It would be preferable to have to un-tune the unisons (Txilibrin,
in many cases), independently of the slight variations that may occur in the other
notes along the scale. (10)
In principle, it would be possible to reconstruct scales of albokas
having pipes of varying lengths (although we had not ever seen or heard them before),
by drilling holes according to the mathematical proportions we have discovered (see
note 8), and also by using reeds that respect the interval of 5th between the
1st and 5th steps of the scale.
2.
THE ALBOKA TRADITION
2.1
Alboka players (albokariak or albokeroak)
Today's knowledge of the alboka
has comes to us from two sources: a still alive (although certainly atypical) tradition,
and also through the information brought to us by folklorists and other scholars
(see bibliography).
By 1918, Resurrección María de AZKUE, in conferences
subsequently published in his "Cancionero Popular Vasco"
(Collection of Basque Popular Song), lamented the fact that "there are only a few albokari
left" (trans. Note: albokari> players of the alboka).
It is more likely, however, that there never were very many in the first place.
In any case, the most complete reference to the alboka
players of this and last century is that of Barrenetxea, which lists the names and
surnames of notable 34 alboka players (1976, p.
106), as well as three others as transmitters of the instrument's repertory (p.
107). It also mentions pieces of information about another four who remained anonymous.
Missing from the list are Juan Lekue, originally from Dima but residing in Deusto,
who died not many years ago, and Juan Otxandio, from Usansolo, living in Larrabetzu,
who passed away about the middle of 2000.
According to these lists, the alboka's
scope included the area immediately surrounding the massif of Gorbea, Aizkorri (11)
and the Urbasa mountains, very ancient pastoral lands. Qualifying the alboka
as a "shepherd's instrument" is a typical cliché that should be examined.
According to Baines (1960), according to its geographical distribution over the
entire old continent, the origins of this type of instrument were in the nomadic
livestock-herding societies of the Neolithic, or "shepherd" societies. But this
is far from saying that all of those who played the alboka
were shepherds. Leon Bilbao stated: "Shepherds? Why not just not even talk to the
shepherds?" There have been alboka players who
were shepherds, but many were farmers (baserritarrak).
Even Juan Otxandio and Juan Lekue, according to the latter, as boys, took the sheep
to the mountain every day: they were shepherds, then, but not in the sense in which
this term is usually used, associated with long journeys or farming shelters, and
even migrations. It would seem to us, then, that it would be more correct to say
that the traditional environment of the alboka
is rural, but not "pastoral".
2.2
Related Instruments
There are many double-clarinets throughout the old continent,
but I have only found one similar to the alboka,
with five holes on one pipe, and three on the other (or, really five as well, but
stopped up with wax), although it had a bag attached, which gives it its name in
some places: in Turkey tulum; in Greece aski.
In Adhzaria, it is called chiboni or chiponi,
and stiviri in Georgia.
Although its scale is practically the same as that of the alboka,
Dr. Baines himself (1960, p. 45) indicated its musical forms were completely different.
In the Iberian peninsula, the alboka
has no close relative. The gaita (pipe) from the mountains of Madrid has only one
pipe and four (sometime five) holes. The Xeremia
of Eivissa has an equal number of holes (five) on both pipes. Neither is its range
the same, nor it is played with a continuous sound or breath.
What about the "albogue"? Azkue
used "albogue" as the translation of "alboka".
Since then, many have described it as a portrait of our alboka,
but there is no basis for this in Castilian literature: in El
Quijote, it is a sort of cymbal; in other contexts, there appears a more
or less generic term for "gaita" (pipe) or "chirimía".
(See Diccionario de instrumentos musicales [Dictionary
of Musical Instruments] by Ramón Andrés: Barcelona, Vox, 1995.)
Several authors (not including P. Jorge de Riezu) have taken
as certain several things:
1. That the etymologies of "alboka" and "albogue" are the same
(from the Arabic al bûq); and
That, therefore
2. They must be the same instrument.
When Aranzadi as well as Barrenetxea put forth arguments against
(1), it is because they don't doubt that accepted this as a premise, it follows
necessarily (2); on the contrary we think that (2) is unsustainable, while on the
other hand (1) may be: there is no such a logical connection between either of these
propositions.
2.3
Traditional Alboka Music
2.3.1 Sources
Despite the more or less long lists of traditional alboka
players, we have never met one that played as well as Leon or Txilibrin. The only
recording I have ever heard of a player that even came close in ability was one
of an anonymous alboka player (perhaps Txilibrin
himself), made by García Matos in the fifties. Even so, this recording seems
to confirm what Leon Bilbao said: each albokari
played a couple of melodies, and no more. Our sources include:
1. Leon and Txilibrin's repertory, where more or less everything
there is to collect has been collected. There are a lot of recordings either commercial
or from fieldwork.
2. The repertory of alboka
players from Guipuzcoa perhaps with a freer form, not as adapted to competition
at romerías with accordionists and dultzaina
(shawm?)-players.
3. The transcripts of Barrenetxea & Riezu (1976), where
much of the preceding (and more) may be found.
4. A few alboka melodies
compiled by Azkue in Cancionero popular vasco
(Book of Basque Popular Song) (1922).
5. Adaptations for accordion –trikiti(x)a–,
especially by Fasio Arandia.
However, unfortunately, we lack recordings of other good alboka
players from Biscay, although there are or there could be, provided that some of
them were still playing until very recent times; for example, José María
Bilbao, Antonio Aiesta "Jitano", Juan José Amundarain "Jose Muñegi",
Benito Iragorri, and Alfonso "Pontxo" Orue, among others left us only after 1968.
Also those dissapeared in the fifties could be recorded by the few recorders available
or by cameras for cinema or foreign television: as Alejo Etxezarraga, Tiburtzio
Elezkano, Inazio Uribarri "Andaluze" o Alejo Gurtubai "Barberue". In order to recover
the alboka definitively it would be indispensable that any institution would
make the search and publishing of all these vestiges, beginning with the body recorded
and carefully saved by J. Mariano Barrenetxea.
2.3.2 Characteristics
a) Rhythms
Apart from some sui generis
songs and melodies, most traditional pieces can be placed in one of three rhythmic
categories:
1. Tertiary: especially "jotas"
(A = 8 repeated bars, B = 8 repeated bars, C = 28 bars accompanied by singing or
with a 7-point verse), as well as some fandangos (with parts lasting 8, 16 or 32
bars).
2. Binary: especially "porrusaldas"
(A = 8 repeated bars, B = 8 repeated bars, C = 20 bars accompanied by singing or
with a 5-point verse).
3. Binary with a tertiary subdivision: "martxa",
"kalejira" or "biribilketa".
b) Tonalities
The traditional repertory constantly uses the note given by
the alboka with all holes covered as the tonic,
and the 5th as the dominant. In the present-day alboka,
the Doric mode is used, or a key of Am with an augmented 6th. However, we have seen
how scales such as that of Txilibrin, with its neutral third, might sound like a
major key to the academic ear –G major in the case of Azkue (1922, p.
364).
c) Style
Playing style for the alboka
is a consequence of its continuous sound, and the fact that is has a double pipe.
It cannot be played "without ornamentation", because it is in the ornamentation
(mordents, semi-trills, dual sounds, and notes made staccato through different fingerings
–the only way to create this effect) where much of the life of the melodies
lie: separation of notes, their rhythmic content, use of polyphony... All of which
are truly necessary resources when dealing with an instrument of such limited range
(not even an octave), and on which "you can't play whatever you want to". But one
can play more than what was being played up until recently.
2.4
The Alboka Today
Let us look at today's alboka
within the traditional framework: after a period of some uncertainty, the instrument
has become relatively popular once again, and traditional style has been abundantly
maintained, although its polyphonic possibilities have been developed, and new types
of ornamentation and more complex fingerings have been added (including half-holing,
and alternating pipes...) The repertory is being considerably but coherently extended
by means of new, traditionally structured (or not) compositions, based on Basque
melodies and those of other countries (12), and by playing pieces in varying
keys... Even Txilibrin, in the space of only a few years, has gone from saying,
"that's not for the alboka" to stating his discontentment
for "always the same thing: jota, porrusalda and martxa. What we have to do is play
songz [sic] from Euskal Herria". Someone once asked Leon Bilbao if the budding alboka
players were good or bad. We hope he was right when he replied, "They'll be better".
3.
BASIC DISCOGRAPHY
1.
The Best Recordings of Traditional Alboka Music:
Leon Bilbao:
ARRATIA (1975): Arratia. Herri musika
sorta, XV. Edigsa.
KARDANTXA (1977). Movieplay.
BAI EUSKARARI (1978). Recording of the festival.
LEON, MAURIZIA, FASIO (1979): Alboka
eta trikitixa. Bilbao: Xoxoa. Also, later (1998) on CD, together with
LEON... (1988). Other recordings from the 1979 session appear in a reissue from
Madrid.
BELTRAN, Joan Mari (ed.) (1985): Euskal
Herriko Soinu tresnak. Donostia: IZ. Also later in CD. Other recordings
included in a fundamental video under the same title.
LEON, MAURIZIA ETA BASILIO (1988). Donostia: Elkar. Also later
(1998) on CD, together with LEON... (1979).
Silvestre Elezkano "Txilibrin":
GARCÍA MATOS (1978): Magna
antología del folklore musical de España. (Great Anthology
of the Folk Music of Spain) Madrid: Hispavox. CD edition: 1992. This recording is
from the 1950s.
ANTOLOGÍA DE INSTRUMENTOS VASCOS (1971). Columbia, CPS
9133.
NUKLEARRA? EZ, ESKERRIK ASKO (1980). Recording of the "Herrikoi
topaketak" festival. Donostia: IZ.
Mikel URBELTZ (1995) Berrizko itsuari.
Donostia: Ikerfolk-Elkar. Fundamentally repertory of Barrenetxea & Riezu (1976),
played on the violin. Txilibrin and Daniel Lara on the alboka.
LA TRADICIÓN MUSICAL EN ESPAÑA. I (1992): La
cornisa cantábrica. XIV (1999) : Instrumentos
tradicionales (Traditional Music in Spain, I: The Cantabrian Shelf. XIV:
Traditional Instruments). Madrid: Saga.
Anonymous Alboka Players:
GARCÍA MATOS (ed.): Anthology
of Spanish Folklore Music (Produced in conjuction with UNESCO). Los Angeles,
CA: Everest Records 3286/4. These recordings are the same at GARCÍA MATOS
(supra), apart from one jota with trikiti(x)a
(diatonic accordion) and, precisely, the magnificient porrusalda
with alboka. The alboka player could be
Txilibrin, as in García Matos' other recordings, but there are some details
never more heard from him.
LOMAX, Alan (ed.): Songs and Dances
of Spain, vol 6: The Spanish Basques. Westmister WF 12006. This recording
is from August of 1952, edition unknown. We only know the name of the tambourine
player, Arantza Goichi (sic). As Manu Gojenola says, the alboka
player might be Andoni Goikoetxea. In any case, the biribilketa
(march) is quite good, but the not so good porrusalda
would make him a place at next section.
LOMAX, Alan (ed.): Spanish Folk
Music, in The Columbia World Library of Folk and
Primitive Music, vol XIV. Reissued by Rounder (1999). Another edition of
the just commented porrusalda.
DANTZAK (1978): Herri musika sorta,
I. Donostia: Ots. Anonymous alboka player.
3.
Today's Alboka Recovered:
Together with attempts (some should be included in under the
previous heading) by AZALA, LAUBURU, IZUKAITZ, EXKIXU... the alboka
truly revives the work of OSKORRI , TXANBELA, KEPA JUNKERA, TOMÁS SAN MIGUEL...
Some of the most outstanding are:
ALBOKA (1998): Bi beso lur.
Hernani: Aztarna. Wonderful Alan Griffin on the alboka.
JOXAN GOIKOETXEA & JUAN MARI BELTRAN: Beti
ttun-ttun. Orereta-Rentería: NO-CD.
GASTEIZKO FOLKLORE ESKOLA: Música
autóctona vasca. (Autoctonous Basque Music) Karlos Subijana on the Alboka.
4.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
ANDRÉS, Ramón (1995): Diccionario
de instrumentos musicales (A Dictionary of Musical
Instruments) Barcelona: Vox.
ARANZADI, Telesforo de (1916?): "Alboka y Albogues", (Alboka
and Albogues), from Euskal
Herria, pp. 152-158.
AZKUE, Resurrección María (1922-3): Cancionero
popular vasco (A Book of Basque Popular Song). Edición Manual. Quotes
from the new Euskaltzaindia edition, Bilbao 1990.
BAINES, Anthony (1960): Bagpipes.
Oxford: Pitt Rivers Museum. Citamos por la 3ª edición: 1995.
BARRENETXEA, José Mariano & RIEZU, P. Jorge de (1976): Alboka. Entorno
folklórico (The Alboka: Surrounding
Folklore). Lekaroz:. Aita Donostia Archives.
BARRENETXEA, José Mariano (1983): La
alboka (The Alboka). Separata by Eusko
Ikaskuntza.
BARRENETXEA, José Mariano (1986): La
alboka y su música popular vasca (The Alboka
and its Popular Basque Music). Author's edition.
BELTRÁN, Joan Mari (1996): Soinutresnak
Euskal Herri musikan. Orain.
LOPEZ DE ELORRIAGA, Jose Maria (1969): "La alboka". Two articles
in the Boletín Sociedad Excursionista Manuel Iradier,
n. 102 ( pp. 33-44) and 104-105 (pp. 22-29). Vitoria
GARCÍA MATOS, Manuel (1956): "Instrumentos musicales
folklóricos de España" (Folk Instruments of Spain), in Anuario
Musical (Annual Musical Digest), Barcelona,
pp. 123-163.
KOTERON, Ibon (1999): "La alboka. Clarinete doble tradicional
de Euskal Herria (País Vasco)" (TheAlboka. Traditional
double clarinet from Basque Country), in Interfolk,
n. 2, pp. 31-34.
VARELA DE VEGA, Juan Bautista (198?): "Anotaciones históricas
sobre el albogue" (Historical Notes on the Albogue),
in Revista de folklore (Folklore Magazine), Valladolid,
pp. 21-27.
(1)
In fact, according to BAINES (1960) the alboka
is the only instrument of this type that, having a yoke or support for its other
parts, does not have a bag (in other words, it is not a bagpipe). See Diccionario
de instrumentos musicales, (A Dictionary of Musical Instruments) by
Ramón Andrés: Barcelona, Vox, 1995.
(2)
Leon Bilbao used hair from his own chest, and we joked:
perhaps those who said that the alboka
is an instrument of Arab origins are right because it was made using the "hair of
a lion" ("león" in Spanish). Despite this myth, it is true that horsehair
is too thick, and lifts the blade too far. It lets air escape and no matter how
one blows, no sound is produced. Personally, I prefer nylon thread.
(3)
There are known instruments made out of a stork's leg.
(4)
If the animal is too old, the point of the horn solidifies,
and it needs to be hollow: According to Leon Bilbao, it should be the horn of a
cow from three to six years old.
(5)
The alboka photographed
by BAINES (1960, illustration #12, sheet IV) seems to be an example of this, since
its pipes are changed around, which would be logical if it had been made for or
by a left-handed alboka player.
This, then, would not be owing to an "assembly error", as suggested by J. Mariano
Barrenetxea (1976, p. 5, #6). But, as it turns out, it was neither one nor the other:
when the book was printed, the plate was positioned in reverse. Demonstration: on
page 49, figure 26 of BAINES's book, there is a diagram of that alboka ,
and its pipes are arranged in the same way as those of any other. This is also indicated
in the text.
(6)
"Breathing" is the topic of the famous story about the albokari
who played all day long on the longest street in Paris, on muleback or horseback,
in order to win a bet, mentioned by Azkue (1922). This story appears in verses from
the traditional alboka repertory.
(7)
Fundamental data may be found in BARRENETXEA J.M. &
RIEZU, P.J. (1976, p.15)
(8)
Among the sixty-odd albokas
studied by Barrenetxea (1976, p.15), the longest of their pipes measured 166 cm,
and the holes on either end were 106 cm apart. This distance was reduced to 83 cm.
for pipes measuring 130 cm long. In both cases, the proportion was 1, 566. What
an amazing coincidence!
(9)
The alboka player
recorded by García Matos in the fifties started his scale on a somewhat flat
G (see GARCÍA MATOS (ed.): Anthology of Spanish
Folklore Music.) For more information on the controversies
surrounding the scale of the alboka,
please visit my previously mentioned web-page.
(10)
The scale F#, G, G#, A#, B#, C# pretended by Jesús
de LARREA y RECALDE, (1930: "La alboka", in Euskalerriaren
alde, n. 20, Donostia) would give a diminished fifth between
the 1st and 5th grades, outside a repertory like this of the alboka.
The mistake is obvious, but understable: what it revelas is not the existence of
that kind of alboka, but that
the folklorist stopped one of the pipes, and –without taking care of the
pedal one– he registered the scale got by a reed not ready, that distorted
the scale, not tuned, just to say it. Perhaps this will not be the only case.
(11)
Could it be that the alboka
players from Guipuzcoa learnt from the people from Arratia, as Azkue (1922, p. 258,
note) says one from Idiazabal told him?
(12)
Something that alboka
players have always done: see Azkue (1922, p. 257) how one tried to play "la gallegada",
(t.n.: Galician-style), but didn't have enough range. (Let us say in passing that
the low F# from that transcript must be a G, because the alboka
doesn't actually give seven notes.)
Author:
1.1
Parts of the alboka
