gaita
Gaita is the name given to a family of bagpipes used in the Iberian Peninsula and its diaspora, especially in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and Portugal. The term also appears in some Latin American contexts to refer to bagpipes. A gaita typically comprises a bag, a chanter for melody, and one or more drones that provide a continuous harmonic background. Air is supplied to the bag either by mouth through a blowpipe or, in some regional varieties, by bellows.
Regional varieties include the gaita gallega of Galicia, the gaita asturiana of Asturias (also found in Cantabria),
Playing context: In traditional settings, gaitas are played in solo performances and in small ensembles, accompanying
History: Bagpipes have medieval origins across Europe. In the Iberian Peninsula, the gaita belongs to a long