Amuriza released an album that mixes dance melodies and electronic music

BILBAO. The bertsolari (Basque improviser singer) Xabier Bilbao Amuriza presented today in Bilbao the album ‘Bizi Beti’, a CD in which has collaborated the trikitilari Kepa Junkera that combines Ancient Biscayans´ ballads and sung by the Leioa Kantika Korala and fused with electronic music.

This new album, presented at the Headquarters of the SGAE, Amuriza himself tells us that the CD consists of 12 tracks that includes “that musical touch of Kepa Junkera” allows us “to approach this new album in a different way, combining past, present and even perhaps to give us a glimpse of patterns of the near future.”

“A new concept of musical fusion, a different sound and most innovative proposal of coral in the moment” tells us Iñaki Iraeta, manager of Hiri Records, responsible for the production of this project.

Also Amuriza highlighted that it is “Old verses, a youth choir, lively rhythms of dance and electronic sounds” that is a continuity of his previous album he conducted in a much more “traditional” way with trikitixa but again focused on old Biscayans´ballads.

Information and photo from DEIA.


www.kepajunkera.com

BETI BIZI The new project of Kepa Junkera

XABIER AMURIZA / LEIOA KANTIKA KORALA / KEPA JUNKERA

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BETI BIZI is the new album presented under the label of Hiri Records and the production by the musician Kepa Junkera. Xabier Amuriza, the chorus of LEIOA KANTIKA KORALA and Kepa Junkera, himself joined their talents to present this new album composed of 12 songs that seamlessly blend our past, choral and electronic music.

“Old verses, a youth choir, lively rhythms of dance and electronic sounds make up the novelty and strength of this project” Xabier Amuriza

Ancient Biscayans´ ballads recovered by Xabier Amuriza, sung by LEIOA KANTIKA KORALA and that special touch of Kepa Music seals the unmistakable style of this album which allows us to approach this new album in a different way, combining past, present and even perhaps to give us a glimpse of patterns of the near future.

“A new concept of musical fusion, a different sound and most innovative proposal of coral in the moment” Kepa Junkera

An original bet, accomplice and emotionally charged. A meeting place of talents and various proposals that make one of the most special projects for the moment. BETI BIZI.

Preface of my album ETXEA written by JOSÉ SARAMAGO

Photo by Jose Luis Nocito, Bilbao 2001.





Today José Saramago has decided to say goodbye to all of us to continue his journey to the different corners of the soul, far and unknown, but certainly it will be a new challenge for this great Portuguese writer.

From kepajunkera.com we want to make a small tribute to him, publishing the preface he wrote for the album ETXEA two years ago.

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There is a musical city where all the cities of the world are represented, as if it were a mutual home. The name of the architect and the builder of all of this is Kepa.


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, also lived 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 (2008)



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Kepa Junkera will be in charge of closing the Art Festival of Miajadas

11/06/2010.


The Art Festival of Miajadas - FAM - is the first festival in Extremadura that never ends and is promoted by the City Hall of Miajadas (Cáceres) under the direction of the Department of Culture. It began in 2009 as a project which engages all citizens into an event, in which, over a week they exchange emotions, melodies, different view points and understanding the food, music, art and theatre among other disciplines.

FAM was founded with the firm goal in making Miajadas in the first Town Museum of Extremadura in Vanguard Art and being all held outdoors. In short, FAM is a festival made from Extremadura, empowering Extremadura artist, making Miajadas in a regional reference of avant-garde art, where in this edition the Basque accordionist Kepa Junkera will be in charge of putting the finishing touch to the festival, July 3, after six days of activities.


News gathered from www.akelarre-folk.com 11/06/2010 • © 2010


//kepajunkera.com

KEPA JUNKERA´S NEW WEBSITE

Today Kepa Junkera presents his new official website;

kepajunkera.com






A new place to meet and catch up on all the information about Kepa Junkera and his music. We invite you to come in and enjoy this fresh, beautiful, stylish, clean, clear, unique art design web…. just like his music.

The TRIKITIXA lands in the U.S.

Kepa Junkera produces 'HERRIA', his last album of his international collective project.

Article written by:
Maider IZETA | LOS ANGELES. News published in the Diario Vasco on June 6, 2010


He has recorded with singers of Iranian origin, Korean and Navajo Indian musicians.

A camera man and a photographer accompanies Kepa Junkera during this musical journey.

"The Basque people of California have given me a lot. They are people who enjoy these encounters "

"Years ago I made a bet. As a musician, you have to consider challenges. There are many artists I admire and with whom I have always wanted to collaborate and work with them it´s a source of energy for me. “These are the convincing words of the musician of Biscay, Kepa Junkera when he speaks of 'Etxea' and 'Kalea', the first two albums of his trilogy of Basque songs that will come to an end in a few months with 'Herria' and which is much more than a collection of traditional songs versions sung in Euskera by a wide range of guest artists.

The first two installments of this project which, judging by the given names to the records, travel from private space of home to the city's public, passing through the nexus of both, the street, were released 2008 and 2009, respectively. Today, Junkera is immersed in the production of 'Herria', the latest album of a project that, in the last legislature, was financially supported by the Basque Government.

As in the previous work, the Biscayan musician has been traveling to Europe, Africa and America in search of unique sounds to merge with the rhythmic melodies of trikitixa. This search has led him to settle temporarily in California. "I've been in cities like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Oakland ..., places that attract me much by its diversity," he says. In his visits to those cities, Junkera has recorded with Iranian-born singers, Korean musicians, Navajo Indians and a blues band, among others.

Continues to open doors

But Kepa Junkera´s project goes beyond the merely musical. His goal in this trilogy is, as he explains, "To open our music to the world. To do this, I have been helped by many interesting musicians, which I am very grateful. My goal is to continue to open doors. “Therefore, he visits cities like San Francisco or New York but not limited to long study sessions. Junkera spends time on the streets, collecting testimonies from people they have met during his travels.

A camera man and a photographer accompanies him on this musical journey. Some of the testimonies he has collected during his stay in California come from people of Basque origin. "I am very interested into uniting this chorus," says the trikitilari. "The Basque people of California have given me a lot. These are people who enjoy these encounters and the experience is very positive. I receive love from them.”

In California, the main Basque communities are located in San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield and Chino. The people from Chino, located an hour from Los Angeles, have been directly involved in producing the next album of Junkera. And that 'Herria' includes several songs recorded with the group NOKA. "We have recorded” Eperra' "and some other themes. It’s being a very nice experience, "says Kepa Junkera. NOKA consists of three female descendants of Basques. The trio just released their second album of Basque folk songs, a work that fits well with the Junkera´s project. Besides recording with NOKA, visiting Chino, Kepa Junkera has been able to met the Basque Diaspora and collect their testimonies. Several people from the Euskal Etxea Chino (Chino Basque Club) have worked with the Biscay musician during his stay in the Californian state.
Junkera´s album will be ready later this year: "I would like to release it in November. So my goal is to finish it by October. We'll see.” Although he doesn´t known the number of songs included in 'Herria', the musician Biscay is convinced that it will exceed the twenty songs. “It will be a double album as well. Follow the designs of 'Etxea' and 'Kalea'.” From now until late summer, Kepa Junkera will continue to reside in California to continue his musical project.


www.kepajunkera.com