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AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2025

A Journey Through the Land of a Thousand Muiñeiras

After four decades of observing and paying attention to the music and lyrics of a people, this songbook is just a small drop in time, without a doubt. We call it “serodio” (late) because its temporal scope focuses on the last quarter of the past century and only the first decades of this one we are now living through. However, this does not make it any less interesting or valuable, and it even brings to light discoveries and notes that had previously gone unnoticed, no matter how unlikely that may seem. As we well know, the body of songs from a country as inherently musical and lyrical as ours has been passed down through the memory of thousands of women, generation after generation, over time, without us being able to pinpoint the exact moment when this extraordinary journey began.

This work covers the entire Galician territory, including all four provinces and even the border regions. It originates, in part, from the journey of a twenty-year-old young man who began conducting fieldwork as an enthusiast, a folklorist, a curious mind, and an admirer of our folklore—something he still is today. Additionally, it helps to revalue the music and dance that have endured to this day.

The transcription of the lyrical texts from nearly five hundred interviews, conducted over thirty years of research, is enriched with anecdotes, surprises, and fantastic stories from the informants themselves, who are also featured in the photographs. Along with a wealth of original audio recordings from the compilations, this work expands the concept of a songbook, giving it a dimension that closely reflects the experience I lived firsthand.

I am happy to share this journey through the land of a thousand muiñeiras with you.

Xabier