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The "cavaquinho" is a small string
instrument (like the ukulele) of the European guitar family with four wires or
gut strings attached to the lateral wooden pegs in a similar way to the guitar.
Beside this designation, this instrument is also called machimbo, machim,
machete (Portuguese islands' and Brazilian designation), manchete or marchete,
braguinha or braguinho and cavaco.
There are two cavaquinho types that exist in the same category which are
presently found in Portugal, each one having some particular characteristics:
the Minho’s (northeast Portuguese mainland) and the Lisbon's instrument.
Minho
The cavaquinho appears mainly in Minho as a popular instrument directly linked
to the region's specific musical forms.
This particular instrument is one of the most popular musical elements of
Minho’s "rusgas" (merry gatherings on their way to local festivals), shared with
the traditional brilliant character from which are excluded all other ceremonial
uses. Played solo with an harmonic function and, or accompanying voice, the
cavaquinhos are usually integrated by several instrumental guitar ensembles or
other instrumental groups - such as the guitar, "rabeca", mandolin and harmonica
or accordion, along with some of the other typical percussion elements of
traditional..drums, "ferrinhos" e "reco-recos").
Caractheristics
This cavaquinho minhoto has a flat scale - similar to the guitar - twelve fret
wires with a round or open outlined sound hole. It’s common size doesn’t exceed
52cm in length. The height of the box frequently varies but normally it measures
5cm; in spite of this, there are also lower cavaquinhos producing a louder sound
(as the Terras do Basto and Minho’s machinhos). The wood changes according to
the quality of each instrument: the best covers are made of Flanders' pine-wood
- though currently the more popular ones are also made of lime and poplar, -
usually the flanks and bottoms are made of lime, walnut or cherry-tree. Many
instruments appear with the superior half of the cover flanks and the bottom
designed in black wood, the bridge and pegboard being made of alder and deeply
outlined according to different traditional patterns. The borders and sound
hole’s instrument are decorated with friezes and the bridge is normally made of
black wood - as mentioned in the Regimento para o ofício de violeiro (an oficial
.. on guitar making - Guimarães, 1719).
The Minho’s cavaquinhos are historically constructed by a traditional industry
mostly centralised on Guimarães and Braga, nowadays extended to the Porto and
Braga areas.
Technics and Tuning
The cavaquinho is generally played by using the "rasgado" technique, using the
four smaller fingers of the right hand or only its thumb and forefinger, as an
harmonic instrument. Nevertheless, a good player may perform the detached aria
besides the "rasgado" with the smaller fingers of the left hand pressing the
high strings while the other fingers produce the melody accompaniment. The
instrument’s tune options change geographically according to the different
regions, musical forms and players, though mainly in a collective performance
the cavaquinho follows the guitar. Its natural tune seems to be D - G - B - D (from
lower to higher pitches) but we may also use G - G - B - D (or A - A - C - E).
The Braga’s players even adopt other tune sequences characteristic of some
traditional music forms upon which the highest string (D) is alternatively the
first or third one: the "varejamento" tune (with the first on higher pitches)
corresponding to the one of G - G - B -D mentioned above; the "malhão" and
"vira" tune suits the ancient "moda velha" of G - D - E - A also with the first
string on higher pitches. In the region of Barcelos cavaquinho’s players usually
prefer the Maia tune - G - C - E - A - together with different kinds of "malhão"
and "vira" tunes or other ones with the third on higher pitches. Nowadays the
Portuguese cavaquinho is also used in "fado" - as it happens to be with several
instruments historically integrated in popular festivals - following a specific
tune scheme with the first high pitched.
The origins of this Portuguese instrument are not easily found . Gonçalo
Sampaio, who explains the survival of Minho’s archaic and Hellenistic patterns
by eventual Greek influences upon the ancient calaics of the region, puts an
accent on a link between this instrument and those historical tetrachords. The
author sustains that the cavaquinho and the guitar may had been introduced in
Braga by the "biscaínhos". Actually, in Spain there is a similar instrument to
this Portuguese "cavaquinho", belonging to the guitar family - the "requinto"-
having four strings, a flat bridge, cover and ten fret wires, which tune is
D-A-C sharp-E from low to high pitches. Jorge Dias consider it imported from
Spain too, where the "guitarra", "guitarrón" or "guitarrico" are also found
along with the Italian "chitarrino", saying: «without fixing the date of its
introduction, we have to recognise the remarkable honour that the "cavaquinho"
achieved in Minho by reason of people traditional music character, its joyful
songs, its lively dances ... The "cavaquinho", as a rhythmic and harmonic
instrument with its own vibrating and cheerful sound, is one of the most fited
instrument for accompanying "viras","chulas", "males", "canas-verdes", "verdegares",
"prins"».
Cavaquinho from Lisboa
The Lisbon type is similar to the Minho’s one by its general dimensions, shape
and stringing, essentially differing from it by its bent scale and its seventeen
fret wires. This instrument’s bridge is made of a thick piece of wood with an
horizontal line engraved in the middle where the string is attached.
Being ocasionally performed by women, the "cavaquinho" seems to be here an urban
instrument of students musical groups which bourgeois character was often used
by ninetienth century’s dance teachers. Its playing technique is plectrum style
- as it happens with other exemplaries of the mandolin family - producing
tremolo on each string.
Algarve
On the Algarve (Portugal continental southern region) the cavaquinho is mainly
known as frequent instrument of student musical groups - «played solo or
accompanying mandolins, guitars, or others» - having a similar use to the Lisbon
type: with an urban, popular or bourgeois character, typical of portuguese "estudantinas"
(crowds of students that sing and play instruments together), serenades,etc.
Madeira's Island
There is also a correspondant type of this string instrument in Madeira island
called braguinha, braga, machete de braga or cavaquinho. The braguinha has the
same total dimensions, similar strings number, shape and general features of the
Lisbon cavaquinho. Its stringing appears to be made of gut, but the popular use
happens to change it in wire following an usual tune of D - G - B - D from lower
to higher pitches.
The Madeira’s braguinha has a double social rule. We can see it as a really
popular character - the vilão’s rythmic and harmonic instrument of
accompaniments, being played rasgado - or as an urban instrument of students
musical groups having a mainly melodic character, actually being the only known
singing element of the island. The braguinha is played "pontiado" and plectrum
style or, more desirable, using the rigth hand thumb nail, alternatively
producing "rufos" or chords with the ring finger, middle finger and forefinger.
Morphologically close, the rural instrument is extremely poor and rustic while
the urban and bourgeois one is generally accurate, made of luxury woods and
having profuse inlaid works.
Azores's Islands
Ernesto Vieira’s Musical Dictionary and Grove’s Dictionary of Music hints at the
cavaquinho’s presence in Azores islands - Prainha do Norte, Ilha do Pico and
Faial (Ilha dos Flamengos, near Horta).
The cavaquinho also exists in Brasil as an integrated element in all the
regional groups of choros, emboladas, bailes pastoris, sambas, ranchos, chulas,
bumbas-meu-boi, cheganças de marujos, cateretês, etc, along with the guitar,
violão, mandolin, clarinet, pandeiro,rabecas, guitars, flutes, oficleides,
reques-reques, puita, canzá and other popular thus urban instruments.
Brazil
This Brazilian type differs from the Minho’s one, by its bent soundbord,
seventeen fret wires and an open sound hole similar to the Lisbon instrument,
but with smaller total dimensions. Its mostly known tune follows the Madeira and
Minho technique with a C-major reverse position, but there are other usual tune
options.
Oneyda Alvarenga, Mário de Andrade, Renato de Almeida and other Brazilian
authors refer to the portuguese roots of the local cavaquinho and Câmara Cascudo
specially writes about the importance of Madeira island in this particular
subject.
Generally, we can say that the old type of flat soundboard with twelve fret
wires corresponds the mostly traditional instrument of Minho (with early
Coimbra’s origins) played rasgado. Another link exists between the urban and
bourgeois instruments of Lisbon, Algarve and Madeira island - played pontiado
and having a bent soundboard and seventeen fret wires - eventually influenced by
the violão, guitar or mandolin. Despite its popular character, the Brazilian
cavaquinho belongs to this second type being mainly used by urban popular social
class.
Hawai's Islands
Finally, the Hawaian islands have a similar instrument to the cavaquinho - the
ukulele - whom seems to had been exported by Portuguese people.
The Hawaian ukulele has four strings and a similar shape to the portuguese
cavaquinho. Several constructors choose the Lisbon, Madeira or Brazil model; but
there are many english instruments following the Minho’s instruments.
Its natural tune is G - C - E - A (A - D - F - B or D - G - B - E as mentioned
by some english manuals). Carlos Santos and Eduardo Pereira refer the world wide
spread of braguinha due to the cinema and touristic influences but, principally,
to the exportation and migration from portuguese islands to North and South
America, Sandwich Islands, etc.
In fact, the cavaquinho was introduced in Hawaii by João Fernandes - born in
Madeira island - who travels to Honolulu by sea through Cape Horn in the boat "Ravenscraft"
having an immigrant population purposed to the sugar plantations. Among them
stayed the five major names directly linked to the history of cavaquinho’s
introduction in Hawaii: two players (João Fernandes and José Luis Correia) and
three constructors (Manuel Nunes, Augusto Dias and José do Espírito Santo).
The Ravenscraft arrives to Honolulu in August 23st of 1879 and João Fernandes
carried with him the portuguese braguinha he used to play during the trip to
entertain the travellers (according to the magazine Paradise of the Pacific -
January, 1922). Hawain people, just by the amusing listening of this small
instrument’s sound, immediately called it ukulele - or "jumping flea"- figuring
its unusual playing technique. João Fernandes rapidily introduced its use in
local dances, festivals or popular serenades, and formed a musical ensemble with
Augusto Dias and José Luis Correia.
Augusto Dias opened his own workhouse and ukulule’s shop as Manuel Nunes and
José do Espírito Santo did, since their arrival in 1884 and 1888. Those three
early instrument constructors used local kou and koa local woods achieving truly
satisfactory results.
Text: Ernesto Veiga de Oliveira
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