Xeremies — Traditional Mallorcan object

What is

The Majorcan bagpipe. It is said in plural, les xeremies: a single instrument with several pipes. It always sounds in pairs with the flabiol i tumbarí ( flabiol i tumbarí ). Trade, builders and chronology in traditional instruments .

How is

Sac (or sarró): leather or synthetic wineskin; often dressed in a printed cloth cover (per verify the name of the cover).
Blower: tube to blow and fill the sac.
Grall: melodic pointer, with holes; conical perforation and double reed tongue (canyeta).
Bordons: usually three, resting on the shoulder. Only the roncó sounds (gives the tone); the others are usually false, decorative.
Braguer: piece that distributes the air towards the staves.
Material: turned hardwoods (species to be verified), local cane, leather.
Current average price: about €1,000 (Ara Balears).

How is fa

Grall and snare turning, drilling, calibrated holes, reed canyetes, assembly of the sac and tuning with the flabiol of the colla. Few builders (Sa Pobla, Sóller). See traditional instruments and turners .

Com s'usa

Gesture: you blow through the blower, you squeeze the sac under your arm to maintain constant pressure and you finger the grall. The staffs rest on the shoulder.
Colla: xeremier + flabioler, standing or walking in front of the procession.
When: patron saint festivities, cossiers, ball de bot, Sant Antoni, Christmas, pilgrimages.

Vocabulary

xeremies: Mallorcan bagpipe.
xeremier: who touches it.
colla: xeremier and flabioler couple.
sac / sarró: wineskin.
bufador: blowing tube.
grall: melodic pointer.
bordons: fixed note tubes.
roncó: sounding bass drum.
braguer: air distributor.
canyeta: reed tongue.

History

1343: Joan Mascum, bagpipe minstrel from Mallorca.
16th century: shape similar to the current one.
Francoism: comes out of many parties.
1974: first trobada of colles in Montuïri (about 20 colles).
1994: first Trobada de Xeremiers and Fira de Lutiers de Sa Pobla.
2000s: music schools multiply xeremiers.

On veure'n

Trobada de Xeremiers and Fira de Lutiers de Sa Pobla (November).
Any patron saint festival of the Part Forana.
Constructors: see traditional instruments .

Why is it design

Instrument-system: interchangeable and repairable tubes.
False snare drums: the shape also communicates (presence, symmetry) even if it does not sound.
External lung: the sac separates the murmur from the sound; continuous music without interruptions.

For the project

Piece: graphical breakdown of the xeremies (technical sheet) for the atlas.
Bag cover as a textile order from a language stealing workshop (to verify if it is already used).

Frequently asked questions

What is Xeremies?

The Majorcan bagpipe. It is said in plural, les xeremies: a single instrument with several pipes. It always sounds in pairs with the flabiol i tumbarí (…

What are the traditional words for Xeremies?

Some words: bordons, braguer, bufador, canyeta, colla, grall, roncó, sac / sarró.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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