Kepa Junkera

Published by DEIA, May 26, 2011

Returning from Madrid from a collaboration, several meetings and the Music Award’s Event still in my mind. Just before coming to Bilbo I notice the slopes of Pagasarri and I discover the leafiness and the coloring of a spring in its complete effervescence. Passed a few days I decide to take a stroll around there.

The mountain Pagasarri belongs to Ganekogorta’s mountain mass that, with its 1,000 meters of height, which is a natural border between the territories of Biscay  and Araba. In the trajectory I can clearly see that the Paga is alive and vitality becoming the lungs of such a frantic city like Bilbao. In an article they commented that this area lodges surprisingly a rich fauna that, without a doubt, revalue’s the surroundings with residents like the aesculapius snake, the peregrine falcon or the sparrow hawk among others. With a burning sun on top I continue my walk throw the intense green grasslands and seeing some more and more privileged sights thinking about how difficult it is to me to believe that animal species so savage may inhabit a place so near to a dense urban nucleus like Bilbao than it seems that it would have to have lost his ecological value, as if the same went by human patterns.

Nature does not circumscribe only to distant and paradisiacal places.  Animal and vegetal species, that now seem ecological treasures for us, thousand years ago it did not populate our lands exemplifying that nature is somewhat lively, changing, that evolves and develops itself for parameters,  I would even say, we are unaware of in great measure. Before sparrow hawks, falcons, etc were species that we only could see in books or visiting very distant and agrestal areas. Today, even in surroundings so humanized like the Pagasarri, we can enjoy them.

Let’s not get carried away always of pessimistic and alarming messages, true it is that not all is good but it is not less true that we achieve bigger things. I believe that we have to learn from the animals, because only they get carried away by their instinct, for what they need and what they are. And they always CORRECT. Maybe someday even we will learn, right?

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Published by DEIA, March 24, 2011

NOVELS, essays and, of course, poetry are the roads that writers walks through when they want to express themselves by means of the words. They, in addition to be the fundamental part of communication, are the basic piece in many of the artistic representations of the human being which is capable of. And poetry is, in my opinion, the one of more extraordinary expression for the intensity that has to expose the deepest feelings in few words.

Hurtado de Amezaga, the estuary, Abando’s station, el Casco Viejo (Downtown), the New Plaza and the Café Boulevard were the selected places to pay tribute to the illustrious native of Bilbao, Blas of Otero.  Sabina de la Cruz (the poet’s widow), José Ángel Iribar, José Fernández de la Sota,  Gurutze Beitia and I, participated in a literary route to celebrate the anniversary of the poet’s birth , walking through the city and reciting his poems in an interesting proposal, not only  to bring closer the culture to the streets  but also to carry it out with people from different aspects of life that, also, showed the full willingness for such purpose.

Blas of Otero, poet (1916-1979), was born in Bilbao and moved to Madrid during his childhood for economical reasons. There he began to study law, returning to Bilbao for circumstances that marked his introspective character which will be seen reflected in his work. He seized to religion, friendship and the art to live a life that was nothing easy and it is in the poem where, without a doubt, he found a true understanding place to his needs and his innermost desires.  His work carried a constant evolution, going through what’s mystic, the existential and, finally, a most social stage, reflecting the crisis and the encounters that had took place during his life.

Words are the feeling’s weapon and we hold on to them when we want to express the innermost of ourselves. As Otero wrote: “If I have lost my life, time, everything… the only thing left I have is the word”. And to us…  also.

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Published by DEIA, Feb. 10, 2010

Sometimes often it is said that already all is invented, that there is nothing new under the sun. I believe that it is not exactly true and that even if experience, sometimes, demonstrates that what seems to be new it is not; the truth is that the human being not only needs to create things but also has to believe that they are new. What’s complicated begins at the time of defining what is new and not.

Today Thursday, at the central office of Euskaltzaindia (The Official Basque Language Academy) in the New Plaza of Bilbao and during the days organized by Bilbo Zaharra Euskaltegia under the title “Beti Bizi, Zaharra Berri” Xabier Amuriza and I will try to deepen into the different aspects related with the project BETI BIZI that we released, side by side last year.

In this work we found many of the elements that make reference of before to introduce the theme. On one side the ancient Biscayan ballads recovered thanks to the enormous work of Xabier Amuriza, one of those people that when one meets him remains dazzled by the human quality and the knowledge that he treasures within and that, mixed with a work capacity and an amazing persistence , makes  the best traveling companion for a project of these characteristics. In addition, we have the melodies used always in the world of the dance and the traditional dance as well explained by Amuriza we worked to adorn the above-mentioned ballads and, finally, fusing it all with electronic music to reach up to a different atmosphere that suits in a special way to all the components of the project.

We will talk about it and how it relates with the popular  literature, in a intimate act, with the public being a few meters away becoming an active part of the event and sharing an only and special environment.

What’s simple, what’s natural, is always the best road to success. The most important findings have always been preceded of evident analysis that it seemed impossible not to have gotten there before. I suppose that we will not make big discoveries but I assure you that we will have a good time with the ballads, the music and our encounter.

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FOR Kepa Junkera, frontiers do no exist, neither physicial nor mental. He has demonstrated it again in his last album, Herria. In order to record it he has travelled thousands of kilometres’ and sailed to several continents in search of interpreters and instruments that would put voice and music to the Basque folk songs. With Herria, Rekalde’s trikitilari closes in a brilliant way the trilogy that started 2008 with Etxea and followed by the next year with Kalea. In total more than 70 songs, 49 countries, 128 musicians and 155 singers. An overwhelmed number of participants that reveal the great effort accomplished during two long years for Kepa Junkera´s team. A team that yesterday was with him during the presentation of his new record, presented on stage of the remodelled Campos Elíseos.

Behind the scenes, in order to go by unnoticed, and as if it has nothing to deal with them, there was Aitor Narbaiza, Santi Yaniz, Bea Etxebeste, Kirmen Goikuria, among others. To all of them and too many more, Kepa Junkera wanted to thank their support that they offered him to be able to accomplish the project Herria. And also to a very special person, his wife, Miren Goikuria, who he mentioned filled with emotion of a man that has a special sensibility. The same feeling that impregnated his projects since he stepped on stage with a trikitixa at the town’s pilgrimages.

Kepa embarked with this project, in which he feels “very proud”, guided by a main principal: “To keep sharing euskera and our culture with people all over the world”. First came Etxea with state singers and musicians like Miguel Bosé, Loquillo, Estrella Morente or María del Mar Bonet. In Kalea he crossed the ocean, heading to the lands of South America, just as our forefathers did. And in Herria, the most travelling work of the three has left room for artists of so many awkward places as Boise, Istanbul or Hawaii. Yesterday, in the presentation, could not be the majority of 130 musicians that they have collaborated with in Herria could not be there, but nourished representations of Biscayan society were there. Because if what Kepa has are friends. They refused to lose the presentation like the mythical sportmen, José Ángel Iribar and Dani, that next to the executive Fermín Palomar they represented the Athletic. Also we found Marino Lejarreta, Xabier Jon Davalillo, Eduardo Castañeda, Carmelo Mendía, Marino Montero, Kike Santarén, José Ramón Epelde, Bingen Zupiria, Ktoño Frade, Beatriz Marcos, José Angel Pereda, Jesús Garitaonandía, Amaia Basterretxea, Julio Alegría, Iñaki Astigarraga, Mikel Bilbao, María Loizaga, Ignacio Casado, Andoni Olivares, Andoni Ortuzar, Beatriz Marcos, José María Amantes, Enrique Thate, Xabier Basañez, Juan Cid, Juan Carlos Belmonte who didn´t want to miss this day. And master of ceremonies, Isidro Elezgarai that would be why Caja Laboral (Basque Bank) has support Kepa in this musical boundary-free adventure.

By José Basurto ( DEIA )

Published in the newspaper DEIA

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Published in DEIA, Sept. 9, 2010

In this Aste Nagusia (The festivals of Bilbao) I have had opportunity to enjoy a night of fireworks aboard the Euskal Herria. While they exploded I thought about how spectacular that they were in the visual level and in how the human being is able to appreciate with his sight what surrounds him; so much that he has become his most important sense. But while the colors and different forms followed I thought about the little importance we give to our other senses.  What would happen if to those fireworks we took their sound away? The vision would not be so spectacular and everything would get pretty much decaffeinated. What looked like the heart of the matter, it just so happens that it requires a fully-developed equilibrium with the other senses to achieve enjoying the event to its most.  In the same way some days ago they emitted the concert that we offered in the Kursaal last February with the Euskadi´s Symphony Orchestra and me, for Caja Laboral´s 50th anniversary. I recorded it and seen it a couple days after.  I really not like seeing myself in recordings or in television, not because of nothing in particular but because I like to live experiences to the fullest, feeling the whole possible intensity of the moment and when I see myself in any recording, I always feel a strange sensation. Perhaps is that lived moment was so spectacular that to remember makes me feel nostalgia about it and the sensation that what you see is somehow like a substitute of the same. Looking at the video I realize that what I see does not keep the intensity and the strength that I felt when I played those themes with the sound of the orchestra behind me. The image is perfect but the sound, the presence, the smell, sensations are not the same. I have always thought that the image was the most important thing and I realize now that nothing is indispensable and that each element, for as small and secondary that it seems, it is fundamental. Everything has a complicated equilibrium in the world and with the sight, the ear, and the sense of smell, tact or taste we can even enjoy the following step from summer to autumn, how fortunately lucky we are.

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Published on JUNE 17 2010 in the newspaper DEIA

The World Cup has just started off, the most important sport event in the world. This year held in South Africa, a country full of contrasts and working hard to make his way to the so-called first world. Interestingly, I received an email from a friend who told me that there is a photographic exhibition in Bilbao, called Desvelos, which is exposed outdoors throughout the wide venue walk of Abandoibarra, between the Guggenheim and the Euskalduna.  It shows the snapshots of the Cameroon photographer Angèle Etoundi Essamba and was organized by The Africa House, an association that works to promote relations between Africa and the Spanish State. I’ve seen several of the photographs of the collection and was surprised by its strength, the contrast and elegance. It is a portrait of African women dressed with the controversial issue of the veil, a very stereotypical view in our society. Angèle has sought to go beyond, offering an elegant and sensual vision of it. And thinking about it, something similar happens to me with Africa. We all have a very specific image of the black continent. Safaris, tribes, hunger, disease, poverty, migration and great poverty, but Africa also has many other aspects that are worth knowing. The fauna and flora, the abundance of raw materials and minerals and the enormous variety of human cultural representations that makes this corner a living oasis, working much the same way about how our planet had to operate long ago. Many times we have that image with what they tell us about them but it is essential not to be satisfied with what they tell us. Let’s find answers! Africa is the mirror that reflects our past, a disturbing present and hopefully a more promising future. A corner that still, in which they can say whatever they want; you can savor the full essence of life, even in small sips.

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