Asturian-American Migration Forum

felpeyu: pronounced fel-peh-YEW, sustantivu (noun). West Asturian variants at felpeyo and felpechu, pronounced fel-peh-CHOO. A torn piece of cloth, a loose-hanging thread in a garment or flag, a rag, tatter or shred in a textile. A worthless piece of cloth, especially one that is torn or worn. A scrap or fragment of anything, something of low value or poor condition.

By extension, someone who dresses in threadbare clothes, a tramp or raggedy person. Synonyms at rag, tatters, threadbare, battered, broken, frayed, moth-eaten, patched, scraggly, shabby, shoddy, shredded, tacky, torn, unkempt.

Usage examples:
Que felpeyu traes perehei asomando? [What is that piece of cloth hanging from your frame?]
Esi rapaz paez que nun tien perres nin pa vestise. Ye un felpeyu! [That guy seems to have no money for clothes. He’s dressed in rags and tatters!]
Tas feitu un felpechu! [Look at you, you look like a tramp!]

Felpeyu is also the name of one of the best folk music bands in Asturias, known from Lorient to Brisbane, Australia. Diego Pangua, the piper and flutes of Felpeyu, gave Art and myself ‘gaita’ lessons last October at La Quintana, a traditional music workshop in Xixon. We drove to Samartin d’Ozcos to see his band play live at La Marquesita and ended up dancing until 3am on an incredibly moonlit night. On the third youtube clip that appears on Felpeyu’s myspace, to your left, is Art Zoller Wagner’s head. In front of him on the same clip are two Australian fans.

http://www.myspace.com/felpeyu (myspace, with tracks and lyrics)
http://www.felpeyu.com/ingles/ (official web site; not updated)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =133592519 (music from County Ayande/Allande by Xose Anton Ambas, Diego Pangua and Dolfu Fernandez)

Ah, yes, my head gets around!

Thanks for explaining "felpeyu", Is. I was wondering what it meant.

In the first and second videos you can see one of the gaitas of Carlos (one of our moderators). It's a beautiful instrument, remarkable for being the first known gaita asturiana built in the key of A. When Diego Pangua plays it, it sounds wonderful. The real test, however, was that even when Is and I played it, it still sounded sweet!



¡Sí, mi cabeza viaja bastante!

Gracias por explicar "felpeyu", Is. Me preguntaba sobre qué significa.

En los primer y segundo videos se puede ver uno de las gaitas de Carlos (uno de nuestros moderadores). Es un instrumento bello, notable por ser la primera conocida gaita asturiana construida en la tonalidad de La. Cuando la juega Diego Pangua, suena maravilloso. La verdadera prueba, sin embargo, es que, incluso cuando Is y yo la jugamos aún sonaba dulce!