Uses and customsCantos and Cramóis

The polyphonic choirs of the Arouca region speak of simple things and have a solemnity that surpasses any lyrical simplicity. They are ancient songs that have been kept, above all, by women. It is the female voice that populates all the words and turns the simplest quatrain into a solemn declaration of a beauty that can hardly be explained. It’s as if a whole era were condensed in the throats of the singers; it’s the mantle of generations that covers them and makes sublime what seems ordinary and apparent.

These polyphonic chorales are known as “Cantas” when sung by two voices, and “Cramóis” when sung by three voices, although they can take on other names such as “cantarolas” and “modas”.

Different names can also be given to the different voices, which can be “rasoilo, meio e baixo” or “falsete, contra e baixão”. The act of singing in the upper voice is called “botar” and the women who do this are the “botadeiras”.