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Xuacu Amieva was born in the
Mazucu – Llanes (Asturias). His first contacts with traditional Asturian music
were through his family. His mother was a “tonada” singer and three of his
uncles were pipers.
XUACU AMIEVA is a well-known
figure on the traditional asturian music scene. His long career as a piper,
piping teacher and player of various instruments in various folk groups has
given him a considerable reputation inside and outside Asturias. His repertoire includes a wide
range of songs and melodies from the Asturian tradition, not only for the pipes
but also for the rabel, hurdy-gurdy, flute or singing.
FIELD RESEARCH
In 1974 he joined the folk
group “Urogallos” where he began his education and research into Asturian
folklore.
In later year, he will actively
participate in ethnological research group such as “Raigañu”(1976), new
“Urogallos”(1980) and “Andecha Folklor de Uvieu”(1985). With these group and on solo
projects, he has carried out field work based on the recovery of melodies,
dances an indigenous instruments (rabel or asturian bandurria, hurdy-gurdy
,jews harp, flute, castanet and drums) using these instruments both in his
studio recording and live concerts.
TEACHER OF PIPERS TEACHERS
Noting the imminent
disappearance of the pipe player who where keeping alive the musical tradition
of Asturias and conscious of the important body of work that he had at his
disposal, he decided to dedicate himself full time to the transmission of all
that he had learned, all that has been left to him as a legacy by the old
Asturian pipers. To this end he created in 80
the first “School of traditional music” which exist to this day.
Given that the teaching of the
Asturian pipe was at that time a novel activity, he contacted other traditional
music schools outside Asturias in order to bring himself up to
date on teaching methods. The fruit of this work was the methodology of the
Asturian pipe with Francisco Ortega, he published in 1984.
Seeing the success of this
first school created in Oviedo, he responded to the request to
offer classes in other parts of Asturias: Llumes-Cangas de Narcea, Llanes y
Perlora.
Through these schools he formed
the first Asturian Pipe Band in 1983 “Banda de los Llumerinos” and “Banda
Gaites Naranco”
In 1986 and 1987 he was invited
by the Asturian Center of Buenos Aires to give classes there in asturian piping
and percussion.
In 1998 he travelled to Venezuela to give a course in piping and
percussion in the Asturian Center of Caracas.
In December of the same year,
the second “Methodology of the Asturian Pipes” comes out.
All his work on behalf of the
asturian pipes is rewarded by having contributed to the training of current
pipers who, in their turn continue to maintain transmit traditional Asturian
music.
THE MUSICIAN
His first influences as a piper
were Antón Menendez, Feliciano y el Margallu. Later he came into contact with
Luis de Arnizo, Fariñas, Ignacio Noriega de San Roque, Honorino de Sotrondio,José
Remis Ovalle, and Jose Veriña with whom he learned techniques and material.
In other instruments his teachers were David Caballín (rabel), Milio el
Torneru y José el Xarreru (tambor), Francisco de la Viliella (xipra y tambor),
Lin de Cangas de Narcea (trompa), Emilio el Torneru-hijo (tarrañuelas), Isabel
and Concha de Trasmonte (pandeiru, pandereta and castañuelas vaqueiras).
At the same time as
this training in various instruments and being influenced by folk music group
from other countries, he co-founded the folk groups Beleño (1983) y Ubiña
(1985) of which he was a member until it broke up in 1989. With this groups and
as a soloist, he took part in several festivals and musical meetings in
Asturias, the rest of Spain and the rest of Europe such as: Berlin Interceltic
Festival (1980), Lorient Interceltic Festival (1986 y 1989), Folk Segovia
(1986), Casale de Monferrato-Italy (1989), Folk Oviedo (1989), Hallein –Austria
(1989), ...
In 1990 he formed the folk
group which take his name. With this group he took part in the festivals of
Quimper (1990), Reencontres Regionales de Sauveterre de Rourge (1990), 1º
International Meeting of Musical Popular in Morazarzal-Madrid (1991), Expo de
Sevilla (1992), VI Cycle of Traditional Music of Jerez (1994), Tour
Eurofolkus-England (1995), Festival of Ennis-Irlanda (1997), Nava Interceltic
Festival , Festival of Cabuerniga-Cantabria (1999) among others.
He has worked with the
Programme Producer of the Principality of Asturias, providing music for several
documentaries. In 1992 he wrote the script for the documentary “Asturian
Musical Instruments” by this production company.
He composed and performer the
music for the short “Xicu el Toperu” by F. Tapia.
Since 1995 he has worked with
the “Mercau Astur” (traditional Asturian Market) giving concerts in various
parts of Asturias. He is the writer of the pieces of
music which form part of the “Cuento Mitológicu” (Mythological Tales) which are
part of these markets.
He writes and directs his first
short entitled “Mitos Astures” (Asturian Myths) using for the soundtrack
original music composed by him. This short was presented to the public in April
1998.
In 1995 the Irish Folk group
the Chieftains invited him to joim them on the record “Santiago” performing the track “El Besu”
(The Kiss) with rabel and voice. This record won a Grammy in 1997.
Currently his time is divided
between managing his “School of Traditional Asturian Music”, “The Narancu Pipe Band”, the folk
group and working with various educational and cultural organizations working
towards the spreading of Asturian music, given concerts-show pieces with
various instruments (piper, rabel, ...
He has received the following
prizes and awards:
1986 The Macallan trophy of the
Lorient Interceltic Festival
1988 Urogallo del Asturian Center of Madrid
1990 Two Ventolines,
one as the best multi-instrumentalist and another as a musician with Asturian
roots.
1997 Grammy for the track “El
Besu” from the record “Santiago” by the Irish group
The Chieftains.
2006
Amas honorific award
- - DISCOGRAPHY:
1984. Método de gaita . Sociedad Fonográfica
Asturiana.
1986. Onde l´agua ñaz. Sociedad Fonográfica
Asturiana.
1988. Ubiña. Fonoastur.(Con el grupo Ubiña.)
1989. Xostrando. Fonoastur.
1991. Las cornamusas de Europa. Keltia
Music.(Con varios artistas.)
1992. Lluna caldeá. Gau Records.
1993. La gaita asturiana. Conseyería de
Cultura del Principau d´Asturies.
1996. "El Besu" en el disco
"Santiago" del grupo The Chieftains.
1999. Tiempo de Mitos.
Resistencia
2003. Al son
del fueu. Piraña Family
-BOOKS :
1994. Método
de gaita. S.F.A.
1998. Método
de gaita asturiana. Ediciones Trea.
2003. La
gaita asturiana.( Método interactivo). Ediciones Nobel.
-VIDEOS:
1997. Mitos
Astures. Provídeo.
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