Dream factory

It used to be a boatyard…Then, a flour mill…Later still, a fish market…It even became a dance hall…But in mid 2014, the mansion located at 1120 Julio de Castilhos in Guaiba, Rio Grande do Sul State in Brazil, became a music factory…well, a bagpipe factory, to be precise.

The bagpipe (an instrument similar to the accordion) is part of the cultural history of southern Brazil and an almost indispensable implement to the gauchos.

For over 30 years, the famous gaucho Renato Borghetti delighted with his talent all who had the privilege of hearing him play – until it became clear to him that the passion of his life could die out. The number of pipers kept on decreasing while the bagpipes themselves became more and more expensive.

Borghetti and CMPC through Celulose Riograndense, agreed to gamble on composing a challenging score.
They began using certified eucalyptus wood to produce dozens of bagpipes ready to be played by the pipers “produced” by that factory on Julio de Castilhos street.

There was one proviso: the pipers had to be children between the ages of 7 and 15 years old, to ensure that the tradition was handed down.

Now, there are dozens of pipers that go through the factory that according to Borghetti is not a bagpipe but rather a bagpipe-player, factory.