#gralla

Lots of people are confused about what kind of instrument Sylvando plays.

On a hunch, I tried looking for “Spanish reed instrument” and it is totally either a gralla or a dulzaina (I think one may qualify as a subset of the other, or they’re both just regional variations on an oboe in different parts of Spain).

Judging by a highly scientific google image search, it seems like a gralla tends to match the number of holes, while a dulzaina has an extra little finger hole near the end that’s out of alignment with the others.  But I see more images of dulzainas having a little decorative ridge near the end, which is exaggerated on Sylvando’s instrument.  So I feel like either one is plausible as being just slightly artistically simplified or embellished.

Here’s my best find of a relatively similar looking dulzaina:

Here’s a gralla:

Here’s a video with some grallas being played that I can’t stop listening to:

I find Sylvando’s choice of instrument interesting to think about because (heavier spoilers ahead):

This blog is dolçaina/gralla fan account.

[Video from Escola de Grallers’ instagram page]

Summer 2020 is being a strange one. As a result of the pandemic, the traditional festivities have been cancelled. Today would have been the festa major (local festivity) of Sitges (a city in Penedès, Catalonia).

The festivity starts with a toc de gralles, when a band of gralles (a traditional Catalan wind instrument used in festive music) and drums plays the distinctive song walking down the streets. After them, the firecrackers signal the festivity is officially started, and then the dances start.

Process of making a gralla or dolçaina, the most characteristic instrument of Catalan folk music.