Gaita Donalbai*PT

Date of birth: 25/06/2025

Sex: Female

Colour: Blue Tortie with White

EMS: NFO g 09

Traditional Galician music is a living reflection of the region's language and culture. Instruments such as the bagpipes accompany songs and poems in Galician that recount tales of the land, the sea, and everyday life. The Galician bagpipe and its players are the soul of traditional pilgrimages and an integral part of our folklore and culture.

According to experts, the bagpipe, which has a possible Celtic origin, was introduced to Galicia long before the Christian era. In any case, the bagpipe is as ancient as our history, and the mass pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in the 9th and 10th centuries AD established Galicia as a major centre for bagpipe music in Europe.

The bagpipe is a popular instrument with deep cultural roots in Galicia and has found its way into many social settings, including festivals, fairs, church services, weddings, tourist attractions and public events.

Many traditional Galician dances, such as the muiñeira and the Galician jota, are danced to the sound of the bagpipe and are usually accompanied by other instruments, such as tambourines, bass drums and small drums. However, at any festival in Galicia, a single bagpipe is enough to entertain an entire village. Bagpipe music is closely associated with fun, dancing and group celebrations, known as foliadas.