Desgarrada is a popular song from northern Portugal, in which singers improvise, challenge and respond to each other, usually to the sound of a concertina.

[7] Among the artists who recorded desgarradas we can find names such as Quim Barreiros,[8] Zé Amaro,[9] Augusto Canário,[10] or even Rosinha or Jorge Ferreira, who visited this genre several times.

[11] Linked to festive occasions, such as romarias, fairs, desfolhadas,[4] or at singer gatherings,[3] desgarradas can eventually be heard all over Portugal,[2] although the traditions are deepest in Trás-os-Montes, Minho provinces, Douro Litoral and Beira Alta.

[12] In desgarradas, for several minutes,[12] themes such as mockery, love, hatred, faith and charity are addressed,[3] improvising the rhymes and responding, preferably in a jocular way, to the other singer.

[2] In 2005, the "cantares ao desafio" and the galician "regueifas" were part of the "Galician-Portuguese oral tradition" application to UNESCO for Intangible Cultural Heritage status,[13] however it was rejected due to the application being deemed as "too broad".