Christmas is coming and back we are to talk about “Zampogne” (Abruzzo traditional Bagpipes) and about our friend Francesco Sabatini, from Luco dei Marsi, in L’Aquila Province: Math Teacher, Bagpiper and one of the very few Italian Artisans who hand makes Zampogne (bagpipes).

Francesco Sabatini, on left, performing with a friend

2012 has been an important year for Francesco who finally moved into his new lab.

Francesco’s new workshop where he builds bagpipes all by hand

Here he does amazing things using natural wood that, for the most part, he sources and ages himself:

He sent us a very interesting video that, although is in Italian, I am sure you will enjoy and you will get a good idea of how “Zampognari” (Bagpipers), here in Abruzzo, get ready for Christmas.

In this video Francesco says that Christmas is definitely the time of the year when Bagpipers get more attention. However, he says, he plays with his friends all year long: for weddings, church and popular festivals or just for fun when friends get together.

A good pic from the recent Bagpipers Festival, “Soffi d’Abruzzo”, in Manoppello, Province of Chieti

While in the old days playing bagpipes was part of the shepherd life nowadays it is a passion for young and not so young to discover or to safeguard a tradition and more than anything else is a lot of fun!

A good pic of Francesco, on left, taken this past 25th of November at the Bagpipers Festival, “Soffi d’Abruzzo”, in Manoppello, Province of Chieti

TANTO Wines Blog would like to launch an initiative and we are addressing to people from all over the world, who have a passion for bagpipes: play them, build them, collect them or simply like to listen to bagpipers. Let’s get together virtually and exchange nice pics and experiences about bagpipes! Anybody interested please write us through the blog and we will publish your pics and experiences!

If you want to contact Francesco Sabatini for more information about his passion for Bagpipes (he is one of the very few who still hand makes bagpipes, in his lab, from scratch) you may email: sabatinifrancesco@hotmail.it

TANTO BLOG: Why Zampogne are so bound to the pastoral world?

FANCESCO SABATINI: The Zampogna is an instrument for folk music. History handed down to us the image of shepherds who play this instrument. Shepherds would carve wood and make Zampogne during the long pauses of inactivity while attending their animals, in complete solitude, on the high mountains of Abruzzo. In fact the bagpipe is made of wood and sheepskin, elements that shepherds could easily find and that the natural and manual skills allowed him, over the years, to transform into a musical instrument. This is not only true for Zampogne, it also applies to other traditions from other areas in Europe where again bagpipes where part of the world of shepherds. The “sonate”, folk songs with Zampogne, were often related to the life and work with the flock. Out of curiosity I would mention that Zampogne, in Italy, are always associated with Christmas, almost all paintings of the Nativity, since 1200, show shepherds, in adoration of Jesus, playing bagpipes. In fact if we read the Gospels there is no mention to any such instrument, they only refer to the presence of shepherds when Jesus was born, however right because in Italy shepherds are so tightly connected to the use of Zampogne Nativity scenes always include shepherds and Zampogne.

TANTO BLOG: What brings a young man your age to open a shop to make Zampogne and consider yourself a Zampognaro (bagpiper)?

FRANCESCO SABATINI: Although the Zampogna is a beautiful and evocative musical instrument, until a few years ago, in Abruzzo, it had almost disappeared. New styles of life, the progressive abandonment of the country side in favor of living in big cities was killing this very old and fascinating tradition. I felt this and I did not want to happen! I have memories of my childhood when at Christmas or for the Holy Spirit Feast processions would pass under our windows, in the street, and Zampognari would be part of it, always.
They were part of my memories and part of my roots. Fortunately I was not alone. Today the trend has reversed and young people are willing to approach this musical instrument and learn how to play it thus rediscovering very old sounds and traditions. The desire to learn more about this type of music led me away, to explore the traditional bagpipe music of other countries like Ireland or Britain and Spain. At some point, however, I realized that those sounds, those traditions I was looking for were very close to me, my family and my world. In fact they were right here, where I lived and often inside my house. In fact my family had often hosted the pipers to perform novenas at our place. I started looking for the old players and old craftsmen, they were often too old to play anymore, but were able to pass on to me their passion for this instrument. This is how I started the path that brought me to becoming a Zampognaro (bagpipe player) and a craftsman who knows how to build a Zampogna. I can definitely say that what helped me is the feeling of deep respect for this tradition and a great love for my land, Abruzzo.

Francesco Sabatini performing

With this post we will start our story, made of various episodes, about Zampogne (also called a “Cornamuse”), the traditional bagpipes so popular in Abruzzo. In this virtual journey through the history and stories about Zampogne we will be guided by Francesco Sabatini, a professional in the field. His personal story will also be part of this interesting narration that will have the form of an interview. Stay with us!

TANTO BLOG If you were to describe, in a few words, what a “Zampogna” is to a foreigner, what would you say?
FRANCESCO SABATINI The Zampogna is an ancient instrument, whose origin dates back to the Roman Empire, in fact we can find “relatives” of the Zampogna throughout the area that was once the Roman Empire: from Britain to North Africa , from Spain to Turkey, including the Balkans. Wherever the Roman Empire extended a bagpipe, a Zampogna, is present.

Zampogna strumento

Being a wind instrument, it belongs to the family of aerophone. The bags, being a wind instrument, the special feature of Zampogna is that the air needed to produce the sound is conveyed in a bag that serves as a reserve. So, although similar to the Scottish bagpipes, the Zampogna is significantly different.
The Zampogna consists of four rods. Two of these rods are chanters, they have holes for fingers and carry both melody and accompaniment. The remaining two rods are drones. Sound is generated by the reeds, one for each barrel. Reeds, traditionally made of Spanish cane, are nowadays often made of synthetic material.
The four rods are implanted in a wooden piece, carved inside, called a head or stoch. The air needed to produce the sound is channeled to the pipes through a bag made of sheep or goat skin or, more recently, of breathable synthetic material. A further peculiarity of the Zampogna is that its two chanters it allows you to play, at the same time, both the melody and accompaniment, wich is not possible with other types of bagpipes. The Zampogna is found in all Italian Southern Italian regions, from Abruzzo to Sicily. Within each region there are local variations of the same instrument. In Italy there are about twenty-seven different types of Zampogne. This is why we can talk about a family of Zampogne.

TANTO BLOG: What is the tradition of Zampogne in Abruzzo?
FRANCESCO  SABATINI   The history of the “Zampogna” is inextricably linked with Abruzzo. It is from Abruzzo that  ”Zampognari” (those who play Zampogne) left to go to Rome to perform Novenas (devotional plays accompanied by singing) at Christmas time.
Famous  people, such as Edward Lear (London, May 12, 1812 – Sanremo, January 29, 1888) and Hector Louis Berlioz (La Côte-Saint-André, December 11, 1803 – Paris, March 8, 1869) reported their magic encounter with Zampognari from Abruzzo.
The history of Abruzzo is full of references to these pipers and to Zampogne manufacturers. I’ll give you an example: in my little town, Luco dei Marsi, in the Province of L’Aquila, there is an ancient religious devotion to the Holy Spirit, which culminates on the day of Pentecost with a procession proudly opened by Zampognari who play the Novena to the Holy Spirit.

Festa San Zapito

Another good example is the feast of St. Zopito, on Whit Monday,  in Loreto Aprutino, in the Province of Pescara. During the Feast an ox, harnessed and adorned with ribbons and bows, is carried in procession through the crowd. The ox bears on his back a child dressed in white who plays an angel. Zampognari with their pipes lead the procession. When the procession arrives in front of the church of St. Peter the ox  kneels at the sound of Zampogne then the animal is led inside the church and “listens” to the mass.
These are just a few examples of the many religious feasts where the presence of Zampogne is an essential feature. They are also a natural component  of all sorts of everyday celebrations: weddings, private parties or simply gatherings amongst friends where  sound of the pipes accompanies the “saltarella”, the traditional dance of Abruzzo.
In the old days Zampogne also marked the time and rhythm of working in the fields and the woods and leading flocks  on the “tratturi” (shepherds tracks).