Lithuanian Bagpipes?

[Celtpastor]

Now - are there any? And if so - in what respect do they differ from neighbouring nations?

My informations are few - only thing sure is:
There is a ceiling-painting in an old house (City Hall? University??) in Vilnius, looking like the Belarus bagpipe (mouthblown, 1 drone hanging in the back, huge 180degree wooden bells). The name is "Dudmaisis", or, as in Latvia or Belarus, "Dudas". I also know, that for some centuries since the late middle-ages, Belarus was part of the grend-duchy of Lithuania, so some type of Belrus Dudas is called, in fact, "Lithuanian bagpipe". That much seems to be clear.

Now, what confuses me are some other bits of infos I got (not sure anymore, where...):
Lithuanian bagpipes can have a double bore chanter with a contra-hole.
Lithuanian bagpipes can have a double (!) reed made out of goosequill.

Does anyone know anything about that? Anybody owns/plays Lithuanian bp? Or knows a maker? Recordings? Writings? ANYTHING???

[s1m0n]

I did some poking in some of the world music sites I visit, but I didn't get any hits for 'lithuania+bagpipe'.

I did discover that the Lithuanian government maintains a Music Export - Lithuania website dedicated to info about all things musical. Sadly, I found nothing about bagpipes there, although I did find the intriguingly entitled essay: Mindaugas Urbaitis, Šarūnas Nakas: New Postminimalist Music in Lithuania, which presumably contains all the latest poop about whatever post-minimalism has been getting up to in the eastern Baltic.

I also found this boast in a one-page summary of the variety of musics Lithuania is willing to export:

...The really intense experience, however, awaits the listener daring enough to explore Lithuania’s strong and flaming pagan metal scene, the grands of which are Obtest, Zpoan Vtenz and Andaja.

Which, I've got to admit, has me both intrigued and alarmed. Does the EU know about this?

[Yuri]

You can't make a functioning double reed out of goosequill. And the single reeds made from it are apparently not very long-lived.
As to double bored chanters, it must be plain wrong. The nearest place would be Slovakia, or possibly parts of Ukraine. In both cases there is another country in between, with different bagpiping traditions.

[Celtpastor]

Well - with the help of some friends of my beloved German pipeforum (http://www.sackpfeifenbau.de), I was able to gather some infos...

1. I didn't find any more proof of doublechantered pipes in Lithuania. I wouldn't think it impossible though, since there are doublechantered pipes in Ukraine and southern Poland, both of which border Lithuania

2. It IS possible to make doublereeds from goosequills! A friend even made a video making them! However - they seem to be extremely hard to put in steady tune for some reason, and the only source claiming them for Lithuanian or Belraus pipes is
http://gajdy.web-log.nl/gajdy/belarussia/index.html
Since all my contacts in Belarus never knew anything about that, he might have gotten something wrong...

3. Baines - even though far from flawless, still being the very first to systematically research bagpipes worldwide - states the same type of bagpipes for Lithuania and Belarus

4. I found a video of a guy called Jurgines Palangoje playing what he claims to be the Lithuanian dudmaisis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfqVdSb32tw) - and the instrument is in any respect identical to the Belarus pipes.

So I conclude: Belarus dudas and Lithuanian dudmaisis are the same instrument - which is no big surprise, since for centuries, Belarus was part of Lithuania.

[Celtpastor]

And another wee update: I contacted ernesto Fisher, from whose otherwise excellent bp-hp gajdy.web-log.nl/ I got the information about the "double-reed" in Belarus (and thus Lithuanian) pipes, and it turned out as a mistake.

[MatthewVanitas]

I was trying to dig up Lithuanian bagpipe info for Wikipedia, but about all I could find was mentions of the Sekminių ragelis with no real data.

If you're curious, here's the list we have so far:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bagpipes

[Celtpastor]

oooh, Belarus, Republic of Mari and India are still missing!

[Yuri]

They don't have geese there. That's why.

[SkyforgerFan]

Well, it looks like I'm doing some thread necromancy here.
I hope the original posters are still around and are still interested in baltic pipes

Now - are there any? And if so - in what respect do they differ from neighbouring nations?

My informations are few - only thing sure is:
There is a ceiling-painting in an old house (City Hall? University??) in Vilnius, looking like the Belarus bagpipe (mouthblown, 1 drone hanging in the back, huge 180degree wooden bells). The name is "Dudmaisis", or, as in Latvia or Belarus, "Dudas". I also know, that for some centuries since the late middle-ages, Belarus was part of the grend-duchy of Lithuania, so some type of Belrus Dudas is called, in fact, "Lithuanian bagpipe". That much seems to be clear.

Now, what confuses me are some other bits of infos I got (not sure anymore, where...):
Lithuanian bagpipes can have a double bore chanter with a contra-hole.
Lithuanian bagpipes can have a double (!) reed made out of goosequill.

Does anyone know anything about that? Anybody owns/plays Lithuanian bp? Or knows a maker? Recordings? Writings? ANYTHING???

Hey, I'm currently studying in Lithuania and I also have a pretty big interest in their folk songs. I mainly focus on Danios though.
I'll see what material I can dig up. Do you speak Lithuanian? If so I can try to give you the contact information for Lithuania's leading expert on folk instruments.
The bagpipes have a rich history and it's written that when the Balts gathered the sound of bagpipes would flow over the lands striking fear into the Crusaders.

As for where to buy them, I'm not fully sure. I'd try asking the guys in the Pagan-metal band Skyforger. I know that they have a list of some pipemakers but those are for latvian pipes although they probably know someone who does lithuanian ones too.
I also know that Kulgrinda has a nice piper who plays that Lithuanian Bagpipes. If only I read this article I could of gotten his information for you but it's probably too late now. I'll keep my eyes open for you though.

Which, I've got to admit, has me both intrigued and alarmed. Does the EU know about this?

A) Why would this have you alarmed?
B) What the heck does the EU have to do with music or religion?

[MTGuru]

A) Why would this have you alarmed?
B) What the heck does the EU have to do with music or religion?

It's a joke, you know ...

[SkyforgerFan]

A) Why would this have you alarmed?
B) What the heck does the EU have to do with music or religion?

It's a joke, you know ...

I don't get it


Also, I looked at Skyforger's fourms and the guy who makes the latvian pipes is Maris Jansons, you can call him at +37129241101 or write an e-mail tmc@ihouse.lv.
Kasparas from Skyforger also has a book out on how to play the latvian pipes, you can see and buy it at http://www.balticmall.com/?m=3&id=2488&kate=16

For some video's showing their music (with the bagpipes):
Sword Song
In the Underworld
When Usins Rides (amazing bagpipe solo)
Skyforger and Auli

Also, Here's a video with Kulgrinda's piper playing. This would be Lithuanian pipes

Also, there's a festival here that you may want to contact for information
http://dudar.info/index_eng.html

PS - This is pretty offtopic but here is a really awesome estonian band with great pipes =3

Cheers and good luck!

[MTGuru]

I don't get it

Yes, that's apparent.

And the posters in this thread do check in occasionally. Enjoy your studies!

[Yuri]

MyGuru, I have to admit that neither do I get it, in spite of being a great fan of Monty Python, Peter Sellers and the like. I suppose I jut live too far away from the hurly-burly of EU beurocracy.
But to the point, the Lithuanian pipes do seem indeed to be identical to the Belorussian ones. Which is, of course, understandable in view of the shared history, but still, a bit strange, as the actual cultures are by no means identical. For one thing, Belorussian is clearly a slavic language (I can read it more-or-less fluently, though I don't speak it. It comes from speaking Russian, to which it is related very closely.) Lithuanian, on the other hand is a Baltic language, which, while remotely related to Slavic ones, is certainly not close enough for even remote understanding.

[s1m0n]

Which, I've got to admit, has me both intrigued and alarmed. Does the EU know about this?

A) Why would this have you alarmed?
B) What the heck does the EU have to do with music or religion?

That's part of the joke: I found that mention on a lithuanian government website promoting Lithuania's 'music exports'. I was struck by the incongfruity of seeing "Lithuania's strong and flaming pagan metal scene" in the kind of context that less exciting governments use to promote trade in wheat, manufactured goods, etc.

I mentioned the EU because it's a free trade zone of which Lithuania is now a member. The Brussels eurocrats are famous for taking the job of regulating trade among its members to an absurd degree.

One example of this is the british christmas tradition of mincemeat pies. Because these don't contain any kind of flesh*, EU regulators have demanded that the product be renamed to something less confusing.

The meaning of 'meat' has since narrowed in english usage, but the name of the pie is one place where the term has hung on. The regulator's concern was that the traditional name might lead to confusion in the marketplace, but this a dish that no one but the british want to eat. Everyone there already knows what it means.

Anyway, if the Eurocrats can get this silly about a flaming Christmas pudding, I shudder to think about how they'll react to 'strong and flaming pagan metal'.

*They're principally made of chopped preserved fruit. The name 'mincemeat' dates from a time when that word meant any kind of food which has been finely chopped.

[SkyforgerFan]

Thanks s1m0n, otherwise I'd of been confused for weeks... maybe even months XD

Also, I'll have to find me a recipe for that pie you mentioned =3