Milladoiro

Milladoiro, a seven-piece ensemble, merges the Celtic traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany with Galicia’s indigenous folk forms. Emerging from the merger of two earlier groups—one devoted to medieval repertoire, the other to Celtic folk—the band forged a distinctive style they term “chamber folk.” Jazz multi-instrumentalist and music historian Xose A. Ferreiros first imagined the project in November 1978. Drawn from former students at the University at Santiago de Compostela, the musicians assembled an extensive body of work by mining antique manuscripts and scores. Their approach has remained grounded in the example of other Celtic ensembles. In a Dirty Linen conversation, harp, tromba, ocarina, guitar, and bouzouki player/vocalist Rodrigo Romani stated, “We wanted to do the same that the Chieftains did for Irish music, or the Bothy Band, or Alan Stivell with Breton music.” The musical heritage of their native Galicia nonetheless remains audible throughout Milladoiro’s performances.