Happy “Uncommon Musical Instrument Awareness Day”
Celebrated every July 31st. Who knew, right? Well, it’s a thing. And as such, it deserves to be recognized. So in honor of this day may I present the gaida (Also known as a gajda, among other names, depending on the region and its specific configuration) It’s part of the bagpipe family and although bagpipes are synonymous with Scotland many scholars believe they were invented in the Middle East, then introduced into Europe via the Roman Empire. In addition to the U.K., they continue to play a role in Middle Eastern, Central European, and Eastern European culture to this day. Each region has tweaked the design to make it their own, but one of the things that distinguishes instruments in this family from one another is how many pipes they have. Gaida are made from the tanned torso of a sheep or goat and often still have fur on the outside. Fancy versions have a carved faux head of wood while other upscale models utilize the animal’s real head. Using an animal’s body as a balloon of sorts may seem odd but makes sense when you think about how tanned animal skins were used in a very similar manner by ancient peoples to transport liquids – Fewer seams equaled fewer opportunities for liquid to escape, or air to escape in the case of these instruments. .
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Photos courtesy of Pinterest
