Music of Auvergne

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Auvergne is a region in France. Its best-known form of folk music is that played on the cabrette (little goat in Auvergnat), a bagpipe made of goatskin. This is used to play swift, 3/8 dance music, slow airs (regrets) and other styles. The traditional master taught many modern players, including , and . Other styles of music include the shepherd's calls known as ballero.

Joseph Canteloube was a well-known composer from Auvergne in the early 20th century, and produced a famous collection of folk music called Songs of the Auvergne.

The hurdy-gurdy became the basis for bal-musette music, which arrived in Paris by 1880 as a result of Auvergnat migration. The influence of Antoine Bouscatel led to bal-musette incorporating the Italian accordion, which soon came to dominate the music. This is the period that produced internationally known masters like , Emile Vacher and . Vacher's light style, rhythmic nature and distinctive tremolo defined the genre for many audiences in France and beyond. During World War I, elements of American jazz became a part of bal-musette. The style also became the basis for a genre called .

Other Auvergnat musicians include and Jean-Louis Murat.

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