Portuguese Concertina

[Don Taylor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEaQq3HlAT8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

Does anybody know anything about this box?

 

Thx. Don.

[felix castro]

Yes, of course. I am Félix Castro, I live in Ourense - Galicia, in northwest Spain, over Portugal, Ourense province is neighbour from Portugal (our "brother country"), we speak galician, almost the same language than portuguese (more medieval style, in fact we understand better brazilian people than to the portugese), from the galician-portuguese roots.

The concertina is a diatonic accordion very popular in northern Portugal, mainly in the Minho Region (the portuguese northwest region), it became there their national instrument (in Minho region), the other northern region Tras Os Montes it isn't so popular, the still have the bagpipes also as one of their national instruments, in the Minho region the accordion substituted the bagpipe completely.

It is a diatonic accordion, usually with three rows, G-C-F, etc. not with accidentals, and 12 bass buttons. They are usually club system, with the G in the second row of the accordion (in a G-C-F keyboard) duplicated pushing and pulling that it is perfect for their style, quick runs up and down along the keyboard, and usually with two botton notes (thirds) i. e. C-E, F-G, etc.

 

 

 

They play mainly tunes in the major keys, and in the old years played didn't change the bass notes, it worked more as a rythm accompaniament.

The like a lot the mussette sound, with the reeds separated in tuning one of each other , "west" sound. They use accordions with 3, 4, or more reeds at a time, and loud instruments. Its purpose was traditionally have loud instruments, they don't like usually for traditional music the instruments as the type I play, with less volume and drier sound. They don't play traditionally in other keys than the major of the instrument, now there are musicians that they play the accordion in minor keys, etc.

These are recorded by a great player, galician, Sindo de Olelas, because he is from Olelas, Ourense, a small village that was nearer from the portuguese villages than the galician ones, then they play traditionally portuguese music. The other are from a grandson of him, I think, Sindo is a very famous concertina player, and all they family play.

In minho region music they play usually Viras, similar to the Jota and Foliada, in 3/4, Cana Verde and Chulas, 2/4 or 4/4, Desgarradas, concertina with improvisated lyrics in a song, and other genres, passodobles, etc.

 

Sindo de Olelas (from Ourense- Galicia) playing "in the portuguese style", as in Olelas village they play traditionally portuguese music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC22hpiBtME

 

 

These videos are from the channel diegotocadordu92

Vira

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEuA_YOaOGI&list=UUqurFeWQjSLH5tURuYrVWbw

Cana Verde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qeaLRH7R6c&list=UUqurFeWQjSLH5tURuYrVWbw

 

Other tunes more complicated by Diego

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPg3owjYtec&list=UUqurFeWQjSLH5tURuYrVWbw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPg3owjYtec&list=UUqurFeWQjSLH5tURuYrVWbw

 

A typical minho feast dancing (the dances are in circle and by couples that change)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4tYkYBvGNg&list=UUqurFeWQjSLH5tURuYrVWbw

 

I shall put more videos commenting them.

Félix Castro

[felix castro]

Two video recordins of feasts in Olelas, played by Sindo and his son, and other people. They are really wonderful feasts, I went there one year and they are really very warm people and we enjoied a lot. My brother in law danced a lot with the people there, he knows some of these dancings as he was member many years of a galician folklore dancing group.

Sindo and Fernando

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHln7F0j93g

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcRK8guwuTA

 

Other style of playing and singing is the "desafío", (challenge ?? competition ??).

Improvisated song in a prefixed song between two persons that are answering one to the other, it can last for many hours, until one of them is tired and decided to give up.

Here is the "Canario" (Canary), a famous "tocador de concertina".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEiGnrcYBR4

In Galicia also existed but it almost dissapeared, now there are people teaching it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DW6tWCih_8

[sqzbxr]

Look at the first three instruments (Organettos) listed here:

 

http://www.buttonbox.com/instruments-in-stock.html#1row

[Don Taylor]

Thanks folks.

 

The Portuguese music is great, full if life. I will come back to that later,.

 

It was the Organetto that caught my ear and eye. They look like a lot of fun.

 

I have never seen one before.

 

The Button Box has three videos of the ones that they have for sale. They all sound very nice, and they are quite cheap too. Not many reeds I suppose, but still a nice full sound. Looks and sounds like a great instrument for Morris and dance. They seem quite fast so maybe even ITM?

 

Anybody here play one? Are they keyed as a subset of a regular button accordion? Are they difficult to learn/play?

 

I am kind of tempted by a small, portable melodeon...

[sqzbxr]

Fingering is usually standard 1-row melodeon, upper octave. The half row is usually reversals. The bass/chord buttons are 1-row standard - root on the press, 5th on the draw. I've never seen one that had more than a single reed per note.

[felix castro]

Yes, the organetto played in that video is uncommon in portuguese music, there play usually the other style of accordion. I was talking about the bigger accordions showed.