This is a shepherd song, (improvisation by Jordi Savall) an infusion of medieval summer with geese and cows. I love its exuberance, and I have a special relationship with both species (geese and cows). At min. 4:18 the choral version commences, resonating like a battle hymn, yet it simply tells the tale of Rodrigo Martinez the gooseherd who whistles to his goslings because he thinks they’re cows.
Reviews: ‘it’s a folía/ no, is a villanelle/villanesque/ no, it is a Portuguese folk dance/ no, nothing Portuguese, there are no Portuguese folías; it is Spanish music, of Leonese or Valencian origin./ Valencian? The folía is Castilian with later influence in the Canary Islands.’
‘Rodrigo Martinez was a gooseherd/ no, he was a Leonese nobleman/ no, he is the parody of king D. Sebastiao/ VIVA EL REY D. SEBASTIÃO!’
‘It’s a silly Spanish song’ – my comment: nooo, I disagree; who’s to say? Perhaps Rodrigo stumbled upon a bottle of wine in a forgotten cellar and had a little too much to drink. Listen: ‘Rodrigo Martínez/ a las ánsares Ahé! / Pensando qu’eran vacas/ silbábalas Ahé! /Rodrigo Martínez atán garrido.’
Isn’t it lovely? Infinite Love.