The document discusses the design of bags including their pitch, curve, hexagon shape, and larger size. It also mentions ornamentation at different levels and years 1961 and 333. Workshops, crowdfunding, and a website for kabagaida are referenced at the end along with thanks.
This presentation is for the International Bagpipe Conference, Glasgow 2016.
In this presentation Cvetelin and Kostadin will share the basics of the Kaba Gaida traditions. They’ll tell briefly about the history of the gaida, the main characteristics, materials and making style used the different performance styles, ornamentation and some interesting facts about the gaida during the Digital Age.
Kaba Gaida is a low pitched bagpipe typical for the Rhodope mountain in Bulgaria. It is a typical representative of the Gaida family and possesses all the characteristics - single drone, wooden chanter, flea hole, goat skin bag and a tube reed from elder, cane with a tongue, tight fingering style (each note is played by lifting only one finger)
60 years ago Kaba Gaida was not much different from the other gaidas (called Djura) in the region - high pitched, round chanters with horn at the end.
The hole in the chanter is conical inside where the wider part is at the bottom.
Kaba Gaida spread in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria
Before 1961 there were mostly F to G kaba gaidas. After that year appeared E and D kaba gaidas because of the rise of the amateur bands and the very famous ensemble "100 Kaba Gaidi". Appeared also females choirs, which needed lower pitched gaidas. The horn on the Kaba Gaida was replaced by a curve at the end of the chanter and it was removed on the Djura Gaida.
Guiness world record for gathering bagpipers playing simultaniously
There are two styles of playing the kaba gaida bagpipe
Level 0: Pure beginner
Teach only pure melody, no ornamentation.
keep the bag pressure even and produce even tone
No pressure in the hands.
20 basic tunes and songs
Maintenance
Tuning
Level 1: You are ready to play alone in the mountain
Basic ornaments
Thumb cuttings
Bip, Tsuk - Grace note at the beginning of the note
Thumb closure - Grace not at the end of the note
Cutting two even notes with the thumb
Glissando
Vibrato
Level 2 - You are ready to play in a couple in the mountains
Ornamentation includes:
Mordents
Thriller
Thumb cut + mordents
Thriller + mordent on G
Strikes on G and A
Level 3: You are ready for the stage
More complex ornaments:
Double thumb cut
Sliding thumb cut
Thumb cut + thriller + mordent on G
More combinations
Level 4: Mastering. You are ready to play on a wedding
What is the secret of the gaida?
It’s preserved its original form for centuries
Uses natural materials
Deep and soft sound
We use it to help us be mindfull
Balance between drone and chanter sound - soft drone and sharp chanter.
Look at the face of Kostadin… He definitely looks mindfull :) When you play music, often you concentrate, fall into a special state very close to meditation. The Kaba Gaida has very deep sound, very ancient, simple and pure melodies (pentatonic - 5 tones). The materials are all natural and they make the voice of the gaida close to the nature/mountain - imitating birds, springs, etc. The Kaba Gaida plays in E and F, most of the meditation cups are the same sound. Kaynak, means ‘source’ and is used for a kaba gaida player when he enters a special state while playing.
Isihia band - Etno, Fusion
Tupani & Gaidi - Kaba Gaida + didgeridoo and cajon
KabaGaida.Com
Online community and platform for training and support - www.kabagaida.com/learn
Workshops with kids, parents and adults - www.kabagaida.com/kids
Kaynak Band promoting the kaba gaida abroad www.kabagaida.com/band
Every Monday 19:30 under Billa next to Pliska hotel, Sofia, Bulgaria we give lessons, and we have a group practice which is open to the public. Just bring your good mood and maybe beer/wine. If you want to play your are more than welcome. If you want to join the KabaGaida.Com team here is what we need:
Online store manager - Someone who manage the stores, promotions, contact resellers and make up a strategy.
Newsletter and social marketing guru - somebody to make people interested in the gaida by serving them good content.
PR of the band - somebody who can arrange concerts. performances, tours around the world and make good presentations of the band
designer - somebody who can make web sites and design visual materials
somebody who can make good photos, videos
Translator
Somebody who wants to travel around Rhodope mountain and gather and digitize kaba gaida traditions.