I found a guy Ruben Zahra on youtube who who plays this instrument and sent him a couple messages asking him about it and he uploaded a new video of it for me so I could hear what the pipe sounded like. I love the the tambourine player he is so great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ruQOZQnu88
Does anyone play or know much about this instrument? I was initially curios because of the proximity of Malta to Sicily and any similarities I might be able to find in the Maltese pipes compared to the Sicilian “a paro” pipes.
Sean: Don’t you have a set of these pipes? I think you might have played them for me when you were in Kansas City a couple years ago. I was reading the Wikipedia stub for this instrument and it said it “fell out of favor” in the 70s.. What does that mean? Does that mean that at one point there were no surviving players? I’m just curious how much the original song base remains.
Well it’s nice to see that people are reviving this little bag pipe.
There is a really good article in the Galpin Society Journal on the zaqq. It appeared sometimes in the early 70-es, and the writer had an opportunity to listen to players who still learned the zaqq as tir true folk tradition, rather than a revival instrument. In other words, it was still alive then. There is a good description of half a dozen pipes, playing techniques, and a complete music example. In fact, from memory I’d say it’s the very piece (or a variant of it) that the two play in the youtube clip.
The pipes have nothing in common with Sicilian pipes, they are much closer to North African and Greek types.
Yuri,
Do you have a link to article, I’d like to read it. Are you saying that at one point there was literally no living piper or that there were just a few? If you search for Maltese music on Itunes there is a CD of old Maltese recordings and there is a 43 second long Zaqq clip. You can listen to 30 seconds for free if you like
I disagree with the statement that the Zaqq has “nothing in common” with the Sicilian zampogna. I agree that it has more in common with the north african, greetk etc. pipes, but there are definitely similarities, even in style of music that the couple are playing the video.
double equal length chanters,
Single reeds.
one chanter is a bass/rhythm chanter
Chanters have overlapping notes
played with tambourine
similar time signature (6/8)
It’s my personal opinion/educated guess that the Sicilian pipe evolved directly from the Maltes, north african, greek island, turkish etc. pipes.
I saw this guy as well with his band “Etnika” as solo in 2006 on the Rudolstadt-Festival (the Etnika records were a bit of a dissapointment, though). The chanter is the same as of a Greek Tsampouna.
Celtpaster: I don’t think the finger holes are the same as the greek instrument, but I could be wrong. I’m sure you have already seen this documentary on the Tsampouna, but if you haven’t: http://www.folkstreams.net/pub/FilmPage.php?title=136
Edit: After watching part of this video i see that on the Tsampouna there are 5 holes on one chanter and 3 on the other. I believe that the Zaqq has 5 on one and 1 on the other. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
The last comment is right, about th fingerholes.
However, there still is no connection between the zaqq and the Sicilian pipes.The crucial difference is that all Italian double chanters are played separately, that is the LH fingers the LC, and the RH the RC. In the zaqq, and the tsampouna and other related instruments both pipes are fingered with the same fingers, any given finger spanning both pipes. The technique couldn’t be any more different. (In Baines’ terminology it’s the divergent v. the parallel pipes.)
Ciarameddaru, the article in question is not on the net. Strange as it is, not everything is available on the net. (Yet) I will look up the year and author tomorrow. You probably can get it on the net, via one of those sites that will let you have an article, but for a fee. If you are not too far from a good varsity library, it’s more reasonable to visit that. Even some better public libraries might have copies.
As to the evolution, I personally would put more faith in a direct ancestry of the aulos for all Mediterranean double instruments played by separate hands. (the divergent pipes) That includes all double chantered pipes of Italy and the launeddas of Sardinia. The African, Greek, Turkish, etc, etc double pipes are really a different beast altogether. And it’s far more problematic to trace their ancestry, as the type is spread faaaar more widely. As in from Morocco to about India West-East, and Yemen to the Ural Mountains North-South.
Hi David & Other Learned Pipers on this string !
Guzi Gatt sent me a iz Zaqq Chanter some years ago, made from native Arundo Donax with
a painted, fiberglass Horn (the native Ox and it’s Horns has almost disappeared).
I sent Guzi 3 non-endangered American Buffalo Horns from the “Crazy Crow” catalog in return.
Back in 1973, I had just joined Na Piobairi Uilleann and as a new member I received the December 1972 issue of “An Piobaire”
with an article about the iz Zaqq, by the same Irish gentlemen who did the (much expanded) article in the Galpin Society Journal: The Maltese Zaqq by J.K. Partridge and Frank Jeal … Journal Number XXX. May 1977.
In 1989 I wrote to the Maltese Consulate in New York City, who gave me the names of two famous Maltese Folklorists,
a Mr. Freneh (?) and J. Cassar Pullicino, and I wrote to both of these gentlemen with the view of purchasing an iz Zaqq.
I can’t remember which one of these men wrote back to me, but I was told in return that the last active iz Zaqq Piper,
Tony Cachia, had stopped playing and/or making the instrument.
I finally got a photocopy of the Galpin article which has enough information to make an iz Zaqq, and there are plenty
of transcriptions of the Recordings in the archives of Radio Malta etc. I have to add that there was a severe protest
letter in the 1978 Journal by a angry reader who was incensed by the idea that the Galpin Society
had wasted so much space on this obscure “Blow-By” of the BBBBBBBBagpipe.
The writer was worked up by the idea of the occasional use of CAT SKINS for iz Zaqq Bags.
This letter was published, without comment, by the editors, so look it up, it’s a great SCREED-RANT etc.
Years passed, and an Email came to me from Edmond Jackson, a local Maltese GHB Piper who was the first “Zaqq-er”
with Etnika, as Ruben Zahra was here in Oakland, California getting his Masters degree in Music at Mills College.
I had been told of Ruben’s presence by Michael Rosetti, a friend of mine in Mendocino,
but as I was busy moving to Southern Illinois, in 2002, and I had no time to follow that lead.
Mr. Jackson was interested in my recommendations about where to go for a Zampogna, so I sent him to
Il Circolo in Scapoli, AND I queried Edmond about iz Zaqqs… who was making them again etc.
Edmond recommended me to Guzi Gatt who, in addition to the Music, is also keen on the Maltese Language
(a 1,000 year old dialect of Arabic) and Maltese History.
It turns out that the words iz Zaqq refer to a Swollen Stomach or Inflated Bag, and is not a contraction of the
Italian word Zampogna, as some people would think.
I would say that the iz Zaqq shares a lot of construction features of the Greek Island Pipes but it’s Music is a meeting of 6/8s from North Africa, Italy, AND the British Isles, as the 3 islands of Malta were all part of a Royal Navy base for 160 plus
years (and heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe in WW2).
There was a spectrum of playing styles from simple to very florid, the florid style being very
North African-Arabic, much like the playing styles found on the Tunisian MEZOUED.
The accompanying Tamborine and Zafzafa (Italian Cupa-Cupa) friction Drum are very Italian,
but you could say that perhaps these percussion instruments came from North Africa
VIA MALTA, to Italy…OR… anybody with a Beach front property who owned a Boat and went
sailing on the Med-Sea Highway…could have brought them home, over the last two thousand years.
I will post Guzi Gatt’s Email later as I can’t access that until after I post this reply.
Sean “iz Zaqq” Folsom
Possible connection between “Zaqq” and Germanic “Sack” (=“bag”, as in “Sackpfeife” or “Dudelsack”)? A major part of the ancient Maltese-knight-order was of German origins…
Just an aside. The tambourine is so ubiquitous (that means existing everywhere, in case my English is a bit remote) that it’s quite poinless to speculate where has it spread from to where. It has been around just about everywhere from times immemorial. Same goes for the friction drum, except that it has died out in a lot of places by now. (Probably thanks to the very suggestive playing technique.)
O.K. Celt Pastor !
I can see (in my mind’s eye) the Crusading Knights of Malta
riding around on Horse-backs, blowing on their DUDEL-ZAQQS !!!
But seriously folks…
Joseph “Guzi” Gatt’s Email: ggatt77 AT hotmail DOT com
tell Guzi… that Sean sent ya !!!
Ruben Zahra wrote a Thesis on Maltese Music with a Music CD
with many historic recordings, and it is ensconced at the library of Mills College,
in Oakland, California.
Ruben did a similar (but slightly different) work, which is available from his web-site 3w.rubenzahra.com
CHECK-IT-OUT !!!
Meanwhile I’m going out to the Malt Shop, to have a CHOCOLAT MALTA…
Your Cor-res-pond-dant Sean Folsom
From Ruben:
The up-coming Folkest International Festival in Italy will showcase an astonishing lineup of bands, amongst which: Jethro Tull, Steve Winwood, Roger McGuin and the NAFRA folk ensemble from Malta. NAFRA caught the attention of a major international agency last year which booked the ensemble for a tour in July 2009. Concerts by Nafra are scheduled in Austria, Slovenia and Italy.
In addition: Earlier in the thread I made the following comment “It’s my personal opinion/educated guess that the Sicilian pipe evolved directly from the Maltes, north african, greek island, turkish etc. pipes.”
I no long agree with that comment that I made. I would ally the sicilian pipe closer to the Aulos/Tibia line like the rest of the zampognas. However, I still think that the Sicilian pipe/music has been influenced to some extent by the Afro/Arab contact.
Just a week ago, Ruben sent me the Zaqq-chanter he’d prepared for me - so as soon as I’ll find the time (which will be somewhat after Easter for a pastor ), I’ll make an entire Zaqq out of it (got goatskin, blowpipe and some tassel-stuff in the Maltese-style here). It has the same 5 left 1 right fingerhole setting as my Tsampouna, giving a A-maj scale (all holes closed, open fingered). More later.
Celtpastor- Cool! Keep us posted on the progress. Btw, does the chanter he prepared for you have the cow horn bell? Also, are you saying that the (5 hole) melody chanter is on the LEFT?
Yes, it does have the Zig-Zag-cut-Cowhorn (It’s rather almost an entire horn with a little space left for the chanter, than just a bell… ).
And - yes and no - of course, the chanter itself is in the hole, where the poor goat’s head used to be, so in the centre. And when You look at it from the front, You’d see the melody-pipe on the right side. But as a player, of course, it’s on the left hand side - just like on any Tsampouna, Boha or Carpathian-type chanter. This is logical, if You’re right-handed, since You’d play the higher tones with the left, of course, and the lower tones with the right hand. Actually, my Sicillian Ciarramedda is set the same way, just like my Surdullina and my modern, but simple Sordellina or the double chantered pipes Yuri made for me! Isn’t that standard in Sicilly, too?
Celtpaster - It is traditional amongst Italian zampogna playing that the melody (higher noted) chanter is on the right side played by the right hand. The contra/bass/lower pitched chanter is on the left side played by the left hand. However left handed players (or those who play “alla sinistra”) play the opposite way like you do. Sean Folsom plays his a chiave pipe the left handed way even though he is right handed. I assumed this is because he came from a western piping tradition where the left hand plays the high notes. Consequently, since I started out playing pipes on Italian instruments, when I pick up a western single chanter pipe I always play with the right hand on top because that seems more logical since I play the zampogna and am used to using the right hand to play the high notes. Basically it seems like you are playing your Italian pipes in the left handed style.
I’m assuming your sicilian pipe only has 2 drones? That means you could switch the pipes to play the Italian way. If it has three drones than you won’t be able to do this because the little drone is in front of the bass chanter and would be blocking the holes on the melody chanter if you were to switch positions. 3 drone ciarameddas always have the high drone on the left side in front of the bass chanter. If you wanted to play a 3 drone ciaramedda “alla sinistra” you would have to order it made with the high drone on the right side or put another hole in the stock to switch the position of the high drone. - More information that you ever wanted to know about!!!
…now that You mention it - on my Z. a Chiave, the bass-chanter IS on the left hand! I never noticed! Most probably, because I thought very differently while playing, than on the Ciarramedda (two droned, You’re right) or the Surdullina! Because of the equal chanter-lenght, it feels, while playing, very much like when I play my Sordelina, i.e., in my mind, it’s rather one octave split onto two chanters! Makes it kinda easyier to get a hang of those instruments at all, but a lot harder to REALLY play polyphonic, let alone the true traditional stuff meant to play on them… It’s very different with the Zampogna a chiave - I really think of two different chanters, having to play totally different stuff - makes it still hard to get used to it at all, but if I do, I do play only trad on it…
However - since with ALL chanters of the the droneless-doublechantered type - Tsampouna, Zaqq, Chiboni, Gudastviri, Tulum, Boha, Caramusa, Diple, Shuvyr, You name it! - if You don’t have equal fingerholes on both sides, You’ll ALWAYS have the doubled or low-note-hole(s) on the right. Maybe a problem for Your hypothesis about the ancestors of the Ciarramedda…
), I’ll make an entire Zaqq out of it (got goatskin, blowpipe and some tassel-stuff in the Maltese-style here). It has the same 5 left 1 right fingerhole setting as my Tsampouna, giving a A-maj scale (all holes closed, open fingered). More later. 
).
