Álvaro & Xosé Manuel Seivane

Instrument maker

©Xurxo Lobato

©GSUS FDEZ

©Xurxo Lobato

©GSUS FDEZ

Making a little piece of Galicia

The brothers run a workshop, a shop and a museum of Iberian bagpipes
They make Galician gaitas as well as Iberian and Welsh bagpipes.
They were awarded a national craftsmanship prize in 2013

Xosé Manuel senior built his first set of bagpipes, Galician gaitas, in 1939, sparking a rich tradition of research and innovation in bagpipe making, which is continued today in the workshop run by his two sons Álvaro and Xosé Manuel Seivane. Their father passed on his love of bagpipes to his children when they were young. Xosé Manuel first studied agriculture but worked alongside his father in the workshop from the age of 16. Although Álvaro went to Barcelona to study, he took his passion for bagpipes with him and opened a bagpipe workshop over there. Álvaro eventually returned home to Galicia and the two brothers continued to work on the preservation, restoration and creation of bagpipes together.

Interview

©GSUS FDEZ

©GSUS FDEZ

In what way is your craft linked to the region you live in?: The gaita is the musical symbol of Galicia. Therefore, to make a bagpipe is to make a piece of Galicia, and to export a bagpipe is to export a piece of Galicia around the world. We work for music and for our country, Galicia.
What is involved in making bagpipes?: You go through different stages and you need to master several craft techniques: not only woodworking but also metalworking, corking and sewing. In the past they were made with goatskin, so the craftsman had to know everything related to working with this leather.
Are you inspired by the traditions of the instrument?: We want to update the contemporary bagpipe but we always pay homage to the past. We want to recreate bagpipes that are no longer made, and we do this by referring to old photos or illustrations.
Can bagpipe making be innovative?: We always want to improve the instrument, a process that involves continuous communication between piper and craftsman. For example, one part of a bagpipe is usually made of cane, but it suffers in the humidity, so we patented a synthetic material that produces the same sound but is more reliable.

Álvaro & Xosé Manuel Seivane are expert artisans: they began their career in 1960