The Bagpipe Society

Guide to the Boha

The boha originated the Landaise region of South West France. It appears in early photographs of shepherds wearing their districtive fleece coats and stilts for keeping track of their far ranging flocks. No other traditional French pipe resembles the boha, which is more closely related in structure to the pipes of Eastern Europe, notably Hungary. It is currently undergoing a strong revival, partly due to having been significantly redesigned since the 1970s.

Traditional Boha (Cornemuse Landaise). From South West France, 19th Century.

A modern development of the traditional Boha with the addition of a bass drone, inside the bag. Some fingerholes can be plugged to allow the Boha to play in several keys/modes.

Adrian Villeneuve - Congo du Haut Agenais