Iñaki Plaza Murga (Bilbao, Bizkaia, 1976) began studying trikitixa (Basque diatonic accordion) and traditional Basque percussion (txalaparta, pandero) in 1993.  Later he began studying ethnic percussion (cajón, bodhrán, d´rbuka) and after that, the hindú slat with Sergey Sapricheff. At present he is a member of the group “Kepa Junkera”, in addition to “Ibon Koteron” and “Etxak” (a txalaparta troupe in Euskadi) as a txalapartari, percussionist and trikitilari. He has also teamed with Ion Garmendia on their current project titled “O+Hatz” (hogeihatz or "twenty fingers").

Ion Garmendia Anfurrutia (Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, 1979) began voice lessons and studying txistu in 1988 in Ibarra. In 1997 began teacher training program in Gasteiz, and in 1999 began learning alboka. Here his studies of alboka and gaita navarra were intensified with Ibon Koteron, he also studied txalaparta y pandero with Iñaki Plaza. From 2004 he is a part of Kepa Junkera’s group as a  txalapartari, txistulari, albokari y percussionist.

No doubt that they are both accomplished musicians, and they put on a fine performance.  An added bonus in all of this, however, is that we meet two nice guys.  They were a pleasure to host.  Hopefully we'll have them back amongst us again.

 

These cultural tours are made possible by the financial assistance of the Basque Government, and the various host communities. The aim is make available some newer Basque cultural exhibitions.

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TXALAPARTA HISTORY

SOURCE: Basque Government website at www.euskadi.net

The txalaparta, depending on the time in history and the place, has changed taken on different appearances. However, the traditional txalaparta generally fits the following description:  two upside-down baskets, chairs or benches are placed on the ground as supports. On top of these some type of insulation material is used-maize leaves, dried grass, old sacks, etc. A board approximately two metres long, twenty centimetres wide and six centimetres thick is then laid lengthwise on top of the supports about one fifth of the distance from either end.

Four sticks are used to strike the instrument, the length and width of which vary depending on the origin of the instrument. The strikers used by the Zanzibar family from Lafarge are 52 centimetres long, the ones used by the Goikoetxea brothers from Astigarraga are 60 cm long and the ones used at the Billandegi farmhouses, 88 cm. The strikers in all three cases are trunco-conical shaped (tapered cylinders).

The txalaparta is played by two musicians. Each player holds a striker in either hand in the upright position and uses them to strike different parts of the board (placed horizontally and insulated so as not to lose resonance). The music is created by both players working in unison. Depending on the town or region, each of the has a special name: "ttakuna" or "tukutuna" for one of the musicians, and "herrena" or "urguna" for the other.

These different names indicate the function of the musician. One player establishes order and balance, while the other tries to break the pattern, creating disorder and imbalance. This goes on back and forth, setting and breaking the rhythm throughout the session; the pace gradually quickens until an unbreakable order and balance is attained.

Although the norms associated with playing the txalaparta are somewhat strict, the players themselves are free to use their imagination and their improvisation abilities.  One of the musicians plays the part known as ttakun or tukutun, which consists of two strokes repeated over and over again. The other one plays the herrena or urguna part, the sound that fills in the space between the first player's double strokes. The herrena player is in charge of all the games and changes, adding double strokes, single strokes, skipping strokes entirely, or a combination of all three.

There are also other ways of making music, such as playing with timbre, tone, intensity of sound and speed.

Where was the txalaparta played?
   The txalaparta was commonly played in the San Sebastián-Urumea River region, more concretely in the towns of Lasarte, Usurbil, Hernani, Ereñotzu, Urnieta, Altza-Intxaurrondo, Astigarraga, Ergobia and Andoain.

The instrument has always been found in rural environments and is closely associated with a rural lifestyle. In the Sixties very few txalaparta duos were still to be found and those that did exist came from the above-mentioned San Sebastián-Urumea region, specifically such places as Lasarte, Hernani, Astigarraga, Ergobia and Altza. Although all of the information we have on this instrument came from these places, we shouldn't overlook the fact that our researchers and principal musicians were Migel and Pello Zuaznabar from the Sasoeta farmhouse in Lasarte and the Goikoetxea brothers, Asentsio and Ramón, from the Erbetegi-Etxeberri farmhouse in Astigarraga.

When was the txalaparta played and on what occasions?
The instrument is associated with local tasks and celebrations, but always with a festive overtone. Some of the San Sebastián-Urumea residents still with us today actually experienced this custom in their lifetimes, when txalaparta music was played to celebrate the production of apple cider. After the process of crushing the apples, the people who had helped make the cider would celebrate by putting together a large dinner. Things would get livelier and livelier, with the help of the slightly alcoholic amber liquid, and the txalaparta would eventually be set up. It was usually assembled out of doors, right near the farmhouse entrance, and a duo would pick up their strikers and start playing. This marked the beginning of 'phase two' of the party. Up until that point the only people present were those connected with the farmhouse and cider making; when the sound of the txalaparta was heard, the neighbours would stop by to take part in the festivities, especially the younger ones from the surrounding farmhouses.

It is said that the txalaparta could be heard from five kilometres away, and many of the people living within the five-kilometre radius would join in the celebration.

According to Ramón Goikoetxea, "The board we would set aside for playing the txalaparta when it came time to crush the apples in the press tended to be wet and soggy. So, we'd put it up on the roof so that it'd dry out and sound better. The people would see it up there and knew that it meant there was going to be a party soon. Everyone would keep an eye on that board, even though they knew when the next party was supposed to be held at the Erbetegi-Etxeberri farmhouse. And so the party went, a mixture of frolicking and dancing, drinking cider, and playing and listening to the txalaparta until dawn."

As we can see, all-night parties are not only a thing of today. And those all-nighters were probably not just any kind of party, since the nights at that time of year are long and hard. To help get a feel for the festive environment, R. Goikoetxea offers the following anecdote: "Our grandfather would bend over backwards, limbo style, and pass under the board while my brother and I played."

Migel Zuaznabar recounted similar stories having to do with cider parties, and to better understand the atmosphere surrounding the txalaparta he told us of another event from that time. One evening a group of draftees got together to have dinner at a restaurant in Lasarte. When the dinner was over, they decided to play the txalaparta but didn't have the materials on hand to put one together. So, what did they do? They dismantled the booth at the San Sebastián-Bilbao railroad underpass, set up a txalaparta with the 'borrowed' materials and played to their heart's desire.

Sometimes other instruments are played along with the txalaparta. The Zuaznabar brothers from Lasarte, for example, play the horn before their sessions.

There are other curiosities associated with the txalaparta. In all of the written references and all of the live events we have had the opportunity to see, the txalaparta is always played at night. This goes for cider celebrations, as well as weddings and other types of festivities. The only exceptions are performances given in recent years by veteran txalaparta players, events set up for exhibition purposes which do not take place in their 'genuine' context.

This aspect deserves further study. It does not appear to be a mere coincidence that the same phenomenon occurs with other traditions bearing certain similarities to the txalaparta found the world over.

SYNOPSIS

The  Basque musical workshop that we are presenting propose is geared towards all types of audiences, from ages 5 and up. It lasts roughly an hour and consists of two parts: in the first half, we introduce the different Basque musical instruments (txalaparta, txistu-tamboril, xirula, trikitixa (diatonic accordion), pandero, alboka). We give a practical explanation where we describe the physical, technical, and historical aspects, as well as the construction of each of the instruments.  Given that the lecture is aimed at all types of audiences, we adapt the scope and content of the explanations to the level of people in attendance.  Next, we will play a song using each of the instruments. In each segment, we tend to play songs that are traditional for each instrument, and based in the three main rhythms that appear in the repertoire of traditional dance (fandango, arin- arin, biribilketa). We play a fandango with the txistu, an arin-arin with the alboka, a biribilketa with the trikitixa, and part of a traditional dance from Iparralde with the xirula. At this point, we begin the second part of the program.  In the second half of the performance, we offer a short concert of 5 or 6 songs, this time from our own repertoire, in which we fuse the instruments presented earlier with others including the Indian slat, the Jamaican steel drum… We also offer another touch of txalaparta, also from our repertoire, where we use and explain how the world of txalaparta is using new materials like stones, pvc pipes, plastic containers…  Our objective is to introduce the Basque musical instruments in an engaging way and to give people conceptual, as well as applied, information about the sounds of the instruments,  both the traditional aspect and the modern one.
 

CURRICULUM  

Iñaki Plaza Murga (Bilbao, Bizkaia, 1976) Began studying trikitixa (Basque diatonic accordion) and traditional Basque percussion (txalaparta, pandero) in 1993, later he began studying ethnic percussion (cajón, bodhrán, d´rbuka) and after that, the hindú slat with Sergey Sapricheff. A member of the trikitixa group “Izalde” from 1994 until 1999 as well as the group “Sorbeltz” until 2001. In 2001 until present, a member of the group “Kepa Junkera”, in addition to “Ibon Koteron” and “Etxak” (a txalaparta troupe in Euskadi) as a txalapartari, percussionist and trikitilari. Currently, along with musician Ion Garmendia worked on project titled “O+Hatz” (hogeihatz). Collaborated in recordings of groups like Berrogüetto (“viaxe por urticaria”1999, “renovart” soundtrack 1998), Kepa Junkera (“K” Latin Grammy 2004, “Athletic Bihotzez” 2004, “Hiri” 2006), Ibon Koteron (“Airea” 2004), Kukuma (“Kukuma” 2004), Araba euskaraz 2003 (“Orobil borobil” 2003), Bilboko konpartsak (“Aste nagusia 25 urte” 2002), Sobrino Sobrado (“Van pasando los años”2006), Faltriqueira (“effecto faltriqueira” 2006), Tejedor (“Musica na maleta” 2006, colaboración en BSO “La torre de Suso” 2007), Chus Pedro (2003)…and Kila, Zafrafolk, musical bands of Valencia, Bilbao, Tenerife, Abacete… Given trikitixa, txalaparta, and percussion classes from 1996-2007 in various schools, such as Escuela de trikitixa de Amurrio, Artziniega, Ikastola Laudio, Ikastola de Deusto, Escuela Fitafik Orduña, Academia Ugao, Lur Soinuak (Bilbao), centro superior de música del Pais Vasco (Musikene), Bilbaomusika… and has given masters classes in places like escuelas de trikitixa de Arrasate, Aretxabaleta, Instituto Cervantes (Chicago), Museo de instrumentos (Munich), music academies in Seattle (Washington), University of Reno (Nevada), as well as different concerts around the world in places including Bilbao, Donostia, Cataluña, Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana, Castilla y León, Castilla la Mancha, Murcia, Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Andalucía, Galicia, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Lisbon, París, Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco, New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago, Pensylvania, Indiana, Memphis, Washington, Washington DC, Nevada, California, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, China, Japan… Finally and by way of the project O+Hatz, within the last year has participated in 20 performances throughout the basque country in different schools and cultural centers, and is currently working on a recording of what will be the first discographic work of this project which will be introduced next winter.

Ion Garmendia Anfurrutia (Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, 1979) Began voice lessons and studying txistu in 1988 in Ibarra. In 1997 began teacher training program in Gasteiz, and in 1999 began learning alboka. In 2002 entered in Musikene (Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco) to study “Nuevas tendencias en la música tradicional” (new trends in traditional music) under Kepa Junkera. Here his studies of alboka and gaita navarra were intensified with Ibon Koteron, he also studied txalaparta y pandero with Iñaki Plaza. From 2004 he is a part of Kepa Junkera’s group, Ibon Koteron y Etxak (Compañía de Euskadi de Txalaparta) as a  txalapartari, txistulari, albokari y percussionist. As a txistulari he’s played in the municipal bands of Donostia and Tolosa, and is currently a part of the municipal band of txistularis of Tolosa. Has collaborated in recordings of groups like Kepa Junkera (“Athletic Bihotzez” 2004, “Hiri” 2006), Ibon Koteron (“Airea” 2004), Araba euskaraz 2003 (“Orobil borobil” 2003), Oreka Tx (“Nömadak Tx” 2006), Faltriqueira (“effecto faltriqueira” 2006), Tejedor (“Musica na maleta” 2006, colaboración en BSO “La torre de Suso” 2007), Trikizio (2007)… and Kila, Zafrafolk, musical bands of Valencia, Bilbao, Tenerife, Albacete… Is currenly working on the project “O+Hatz” (Hogei Hatz) with Iñaki Plaza. Has given txistu, alboka, txalaparta and pandero classes in music classes in Donostia, Tolosa, Lazkao, Ataun, Ormaiztegi, Azkoitia, Zestoa, Orio… and has given master classes in places like escuelas de trikitixa de Arrasate, Aretxabaleta, Instituto Cervantes (Chicago), Museo de instrumentos (Munich), music academies in Seattle (Washington), University of Reno (Nevada), as well as various concerts around the world in places like Bilbao, Donosti, Cataluña, Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana, Castilla y León, Castilla la Mancha, Murcia, Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Andalucía, Galicia, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Lisbon, Paris, Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco, New Cork, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Memphis, Washington, Washington DC, Nevada, California, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, China, Japan… Finally, in the context of the project O+Hatz, in the last year has performed over 20 shows all around the basque country in different schools and cultural centers and is currently working on a recording which will be the first discographic work of this project to be introduced next winter.

LINK  

You can visit their blog at www.inakiplazaiongarmendia.blogspot.com. The email address is: inakiplazaiongarmendia@gmail.com