my careto costume
despite the song being from galicia, this is a nice video of the northern mask traditions.
even though i’m not from there at all (only if i trace my roots) and didn’t grow up the tradition myself, i decided to prop up my act with a costume.
i’m still not sure about the mask, but this one is just a small sheet i can fold into my bag. i like the wooden ones better but i couldn’t carry them on the (several) planes i’ll be taking.
as many people know i’m leaving the country soon. i decided to take with me what i consider to be some of the most interesting (and exotic) features of our culture, and that in a way ties me to local national legend. to be accurate, bagpipers wouldn’t dress up like this usually, instead wearing more formal clothing. but since i’m just making my own interpretation, i’m not worried
as for the busking act itself, i haven’t been very successful, but also haven’t been practicing much. percussion is essential but i’m usually alone, so i decided on this suit because it also has some cow bells around the waist, which adds to the sound.
there are several big issues when busking with this instrument: it’s too loud, sounds creaky if not played right, and people get annoyed after 15 minutes. this means the show has to be short and dramatic. at least that’s the way i see it, since i don’t have drummers to play with me.
this volume has been a great challenge for me, since i can’t play in a way it doesn’t damage my ears and the ears of people around me if i’m indoors. since it’s so loud, people can’t come close which constrains the busking to open spaces.
the repertoire choice is also a challenge, since most people won’t recognize any song at all. hell, even the locals don’t recognize songs. i’ve been trying to see which songs people enjoy the most, but i’m trying to expand my repertoire to songs outside the standard piping traditions. one of the things i’m enjoying is exploring modal shifts with the minor as a baseline. in regular jazz we take the major as the baseline, but with a minor-tuned instrument, it’s interesting to explore which modes are easier and harder. anyway, the philosopher bagpiper, coming soon to london and sydney