The music of Slovakia has been influenced by the native Slovak people as well as the music of neighboring countries. The country has a rich heritage of folk music and liturgical music and was influenced by Austria-Hungary, particularly in the 18th century.
The bagpipe culture of Slovakia encompasses a wide range of expressions, including music repertoire, style, ornamentation, songwriting, dancing, instrument-making, and special verbal expressions. The bagpipe is a woodwind instrument that uses enclosed reeds and an air reservoir in the form of a bag to provide a constant supply of air.
The early development of folk instruments in the region was in existence in the 15th century. They included the fujara (the Slovak version of bagpipes) and the jaw harp (the Slovak version of the bagpipes). As a result of Slovakian bagpipes, the term bagpipe culture is widely used not only to refer to the instrument itself but to every type of cultural or knowledge manifestation related to the production and use of the instrument.
Among the peasant and shepherd population in Slovakia, Gajdy and Gajdos culture represent a long and continuous tradition that dates back to the 14th century and has survived to this day on the basis of intergenerational exchange.
Throughout Slovakia, the bagpipe tradition exists with regional variations regarding technical details, tuning, ornaments, and knowledge, as well as corresponding songs and dances. It is mainly represented by bagpipe players and makers, as well as other musicians, singers, and dancers performing in groups.
Bagpipe culture has many of the characteristics of traditional folk culture in Slovakia, such as construction methods (using goatskin) and aesthetic forms of instruments (in other words, local folk art), and a range of local and individual ways of interpreting songs and repertoire.
The bagpipe has been handed down from generation to generation through family, community, and formal and non-formal education. A community is proud to have a bagpipe player at its social events. When the bagpipes are played at these events, the music evokes a sense of identity shared by all community members.
Bagpipe culture is a long-standing tradition in Slovakia that was largely represented by peasants and herders. The culture has been maintained, promoted, and developed by The Slovak Bagpipe Players Guild which has registered more than 40 towns in which the tradition of bagpipe culture is still alive.