BENETAZKOA

Published in DEIA on July 22, 2010


In this very moment they are trying to scan every inch of the most representative image of the Bardenas, the head of Castildetierra, with a boulder included, to proceed to build an exact replica of him, when inevitably natural causes will cause it to collapse. We have similar examples, such as replicas of the caves of Altamira or Ekain. Today, originality is difficult to find, it’s hard to work on new creative bases. We are too influenced by what surrounds us and often we do not find a way to live and, above all, to create our own style. Copy is neither better nor worse than creating, it's just different and often the copy far exceeds the original but between copies and originals there must be a balance, which today is absent in sight. Replies in our world are increasingly successful and flood harder a wide range of opportunities which we can access for. We all want our children to study in the best places and have an outstanding preparation. But also, many times those developments restrict them in some way, the creativity and originality of the individual. I myself am self-taught of the musical instrument triki, it’s a slower and more expensive way of learning. But at the same time, during this process strengthens the spirit of overcoming, forcing yourself to create and develop a unique style of doing things ... something much more difficult to find and carry out, perhaps in part, by I mentioned before. I have a musician friend who after studying for years in the conservatory, after finishing, I said to me: "Now I need as many years to forget what I´ve learn.” and to tell the truth he is not so wrong about it. The notions and concepts are fundamental, but also it’s very important the personal contribution of each one. Everything in life depends on a robust, yet fragile balance; all depends on it, even dependence.


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Ahaztezina

Published in DEIA on July 22, 2010







ALL people should keep a special memory to those persons who developed unknown facets, in areas such as creativity, knowledge, society ... We all know that with the type of life that we lead, mostly we rely more on the immediacy of our existence. What only exists is what takes place now. This requires of us to always stay alert to any changes occurring around us, but at the same time it allows us to drop into oblivion things that have been the result of the effort and the devotion of many people who have dedicated their lives to enrich, in many ways, our existence. A few days ago I read an article in this newspaper, dedicated to the work being done by the José Miguel de Barandiaran´s Foundation and the inauguration of the Barandiaran´s museum in the town of Ataun. Let’s take, for example, On Joxe Miel. Born in 1889 and was ordained priest in 1914. In 1916 he found several dolmens in the mountains of Aralar and from then on until 1991, date of death, On Joxe Miel has conducted an incredible job on our culture, our past history and, above all, our essence as a country. How many of our kids know this? How many of us know of his work, and the magnitude of it? And like him, how many others do we know more? We have the obligation to collect and make available to all of us, old and young, what we inherited from characters as fascinating as Aita Barandiaran and so many others. We can not afford to lose these incredible messages by the apathy and disinterest which is growing in many areas of our society. I would like to dedicate this column to all the people, whether in foundations, museums, etc.., worked hard and struggled so that our memory does not blur in the mists of time and much of that knowledge created, redeemed and investigated by these true heroes, will not be forgotten and we, all of us and those to come, enjoy and make use of this treasure.

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Bidean

Published in DEIA on July 8, 2010





Those who know me know that I like the contrasts and intense emotions. This past year I lived incredible experiences. It has been a period of unique experiences that, luckily, I could share with my family. Throughout our lives, the stages follow one another and the inexorable passage of time marks, in a dictatorial manner, the beginning and the end of them. Completed, in part, my experience outside of Euskadi and coming back home, to the beginning of my dates of concerts, unmissed events that I already started to miss accompanied by the musicians of my band. After 2,400 miles in three days, two concerts and many moments of laughter, reflection and complicity, we're almost there. I'm about to glimpse the familiar green sign that says Bizkaia announcing that we are back home. One of those weekends that make you addicted. We had on Friday night, a concert in Girona, Cataluña and Saturday in the town Miajadas of Caceres. Two different places, far away from each other but where I could see how music, my band members and the contact live with the public are ingredients whose absence you can hardly get tired of. It´s difficult to explain how it feels when I listen to my music with the accompaniment of my players, the keyboards, txalaparta, bass, drums, alboka, percussion ... all bringing together the rhythms and melodies to many unknown places. It's was incredible to play my songs again with my band that makes it great that one has humility done in composing. Fascinating was to be engage with this drug of giving live concert. A rather curious composition’s place, sounds and silences that has a strange bipolarity: takes you closer to the sublime and nails you to the earth to find out that many times in the bare things, as simple, is the true essence of what is wanted. The music shared, hotels, roads, lights, watts, the sweat, the public, nerves, the night and, of course, the moon ... Will you join us? You’re all invited.

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BETI BIZI

Published by the newspaper DEIA on July 1, 2010




Innovate and create something new, propose options, so far unknown, is something that is becoming increasingly hard. There is on one hand a simple calculation of probability and the other partly because our sense of wonder is narrowing a bit. Today, thanks to new technologies, our access to information is almost constant and in this globalized world we call that with one click of our mouse can travel virtually from one continent to another; it seems that nothing is going to draw attention. A few years ago the writer and bertsolari (Basque improviser singer) Xabier Amuriza had compiled a series of old Biscay songs among those that had carried out a selection and released an album that had a wide acceptance. But he still had remained material for another recording project and asked me if I was interested in working. Right away I said yes and began to imagine and intuit different ways to carry out this project. Of course, if I start to think about what I first imagined this album would be and it what it has finally become, the truth is that I am gobsmacked. Bizi Beti is the result of merging between the old Biscayan’s ballads, the voices of Leioa Kantika Korala completing the final product with the merge of the same with electronic music, resulting in a new recording project with a different proposal, brave and without complex. But getting here is essential to have the talent and dedication of a large team of people. I want to thank a very special way to Jose Luis Canal by schedules and arrangements he has been carried out, Basilio Astulez, Leioa Kantika Korala, Xabier Sarasola for that very special vision he has contributed to this album, and most particularly to Xabier Amuriza, great supporter of this project and I appreciate his generosity in sharing it with me. And finally each and every one of those who have taken part in this record, because to me all the notes are equally important, both the rhythm just as the melody.


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AZKEN ERRONKA

Published in the newspaper DEIA on June 24, 2010


MY first contact with him was through reading several of his books. What an incredible ability to tell stories filled with strength and flowing in an amazing way! Of all, I was honored with this dedication to me, which is the following:

The oldest music was the human voice. Somehow we could say the man discovered the music within himself, inside each sound of a word of our rude forefathers, even when it was going to be necessary thousands of years before the first one would be formed. The music has always latent within the man, as a possibility, but, multiple and murmuring, it also lived in nature. The birds already singing, the wind whistling in the cavities of the grottoes, the cascades; thunders like a song of Richard Wagner in advance and altogether, and what we can also imagine, was the nature’s great orchestra, where an empty seat awaits the arrival of man. Which finally appeared holding in his hands a bone with holes called flute. And also a round object with a hole, with a skin stretched over the opening, which would receive the name of drum. Also bringing with him his own voice, and without no doubt, was one of the most sublime moments in history of mankind, in which a human being, man or woman, stood up to sing. From there on, it may not appear at first glance, but the songs collected by Kepa Junkera are about this, in this unique recording that surely will seek new directions in the composition and musical interpretations. To sing the language of others is the first challenge.

José Saramago, the prologue for the album ETXEA (2008).

After learning that Saramago had left us, I read again and again and my feelings pile up in my head. What fascinated me most about him was his sincerity and honesty that he has always been. Saramago was not great because of his work or for his Nobel, just of his pure essence. That is the real Nobel that we all should achieve after facing our own destiny, the ultimate challenge. MILA ESKER lagun!!! (THANK YOU, my friend!!!)


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