Cristina Pato Brings the Galician Bagpipe to the Jazz and Classical World

[Audio:http://media.theworld.org/audio/03042013.mp3]

Originally published at PRI’s The World

Cristina Pato was playing piano and the Gaita, the Galician bagpipe, back in Spain.

As a classically trained pianist, Cristina Pato can play Mozart to John Cage to The Beatles.

Now, she’s immersed in the jazz and world music scene in New York and focuses on playing the Galician bagpipe.

She says she’s found the freedom to play any kind of music on this instrument.

“Probably, for me right now, after almost eight years living in New York and working with musicians from all around the world, I feel more confident about taking my instrument out of its comfort zone,” Pato says. “I think I have an amazing instrument. I think we Galicians have an amazing instrument that is the Galician bagpipe, the Gaita.”