Avelino Cachafeiro
Encyclopedia
Avelino Cachafeiro Bugallo, O Gaiteiro de Soutelo (Soutelo de Montes, May 26, 1899 – April 13, 1972) was a Galician musician, who played the gaita
, the traditional Galician bagpipe.
He was born into a family of musicians from Terra de Montes
, and he learned to play the bagpipes with his grandfather Xan. His father, named Fermín, gave him his own bagpipes. He created the bagpipes group Os Gaiteiros de Soutelo, along with his brothers Castor (bagpipe) and Bautista (voice), his father Fermín (bass-drum) and his aunt Andrea, who sometimes played with them on the pandeiro
.
When he was 25 years old, he was proclaimed the best gaita player of Galicia in a contest at Santiago
in 1924. In 1928, they recorded "Muiñeira de Chantada", "Alborada de Rosalía", "muiñeira de Pontesampaio", "Fandango de Pontevedra", "Marcha do Corpus", "Viva Barriño de Arén", "Heicho de dar queridiña", "Foliada de Luxán", "Foliada Rianxeira", "Estróupele-Estróupele", "Farruquiña chaman á porta", "Muiñeira de Ourense" and "A volta da festa".
Along with his brothers Castor and Bautista, Os Gaiteiros de Soutelo travelled through Galicia, Buenos Aires
, Montevideo
, Brasil and Barcelona
, until the beginning of the Spanish Civil War
, when they were playing in Barcelona, in the Republican
territory, while Galicia remained under the control of the insurgents. The Cultural Obreira carried them to Madrid, to encourage the troops. After that, when they were traveling to Berlin to play in the Olympic Games, they decided to return home. That was the last performance of the group.
Avelino never played publicly again. He wrote poetry, painted, and engaged in businesses (he had a gas station and a night club).
In 1969, he published the poetry book Voando coas aas da vida (Flying with the Wings of Life).
Galician gaita
The gaita or gaita de foles is a traditional bagpipe of Galicia, Asturias and northern Portugal.The name gaita is used in Galician and Spanishlanguages as a generic term for "bagpipe"...
, the traditional Galician bagpipe.
He was born into a family of musicians from Terra de Montes
Tabeirós - Terra de Montes
Tabeirós - Tierra de Montes is a comarca in the Galician Province of Pontevedra, in Spain. The overall population of this local region is 32,519 .-Municipalities:Cerdedo, A Estrada and Forcarei....
, and he learned to play the bagpipes with his grandfather Xan. His father, named Fermín, gave him his own bagpipes. He created the bagpipes group Os Gaiteiros de Soutelo, along with his brothers Castor (bagpipe) and Bautista (voice), his father Fermín (bass-drum) and his aunt Andrea, who sometimes played with them on the pandeiro
Pandeiro
The pandeiro is a type of hand frame drum.There are two important distinctions between a pandeiro and the common tambourine. The tension of the head on the pandeiro can be tuned, allowing the player a choice of high and low notes...
.
When he was 25 years old, he was proclaimed the best gaita player of Galicia in a contest at Santiago
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
in 1924. In 1928, they recorded "Muiñeira de Chantada", "Alborada de Rosalía", "muiñeira de Pontesampaio", "Fandango de Pontevedra", "Marcha do Corpus", "Viva Barriño de Arén", "Heicho de dar queridiña", "Foliada de Luxán", "Foliada Rianxeira", "Estróupele-Estróupele", "Farruquiña chaman á porta", "Muiñeira de Ourense" and "A volta da festa".
Along with his brothers Castor and Bautista, Os Gaiteiros de Soutelo travelled through Galicia, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Brasil and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, until the beginning of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, when they were playing in Barcelona, in the Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
territory, while Galicia remained under the control of the insurgents. The Cultural Obreira carried them to Madrid, to encourage the troops. After that, when they were traveling to Berlin to play in the Olympic Games, they decided to return home. That was the last performance of the group.
Avelino never played publicly again. He wrote poetry, painted, and engaged in businesses (he had a gas station and a night club).
In 1969, he published the poetry book Voando coas aas da vida (Flying with the Wings of Life).