When searching information for French bagpipe music I found this site http://www.cornemuselandaise.fr/ and I was terribly surprised that I saw the photo of the boha: it looked exactly like a Slovakian bagpipe with a conical chanter stock typical in the Croatian-Hungarian border. The reeds, the shape of the chanter body are just like Slovakian or Croatian pipes. Even the tin inlay is just like as if Pavo Gadanyi made it in his workshop in his village near the Drava river. The longer “kontra” (one hole alto drone) pipe is unmistakable, this chanter cannot be of Arabic or Mediterranian origin. As far as I understood from the French site, this instrument was long ago died out and only pieces remained, and possibly some mistakes were made during the restoration/rivival process. I am sure the bass drone was lost. The French text did not mention any relationship to any other bagpipes, they write only about a very “mysterious” origin.
I know noone (other than Celtpastor and Yuri) is interested in this forom about boha and Slovakian bagpipes. I just wanted to use this forum as a “public” notebook (free blog). Thank You. Miki
Hi, Miki! We extensively discussed the origins of the Bo(u)ha Landaise here in the thread “double chanters”, pages 4-6!
See You at “Bagpipes in Schwaben”? I’ll have my birthday then! 