GERNIKA WILL BURN AGAIN!

"Bidea estalita, mugak jarrita,
gauaren argian zein da esperantza?
Sua, sua, sua... itxaropen hazia!!

The first Basque multi-day rock festival was organized in Gernika (Bizkaia, Europa) in April 1987. Under the name of "Gernika 37/87", this music festival coincided with the celebration of the Aberri Eguna (Day of the Basque Country) and the institutional acts on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bombing of that basque locality. The number of attendees to the festival was such that they completely overflowed all the forecasts of the organizers, producing moments of great chaos and youthful lullabies. The first day, Friday (April 17) was the day reserved for local rock bands. They acted four, Xe Osti, Zurrapak, Irula and Salida de Emergencia. Saturday (April 18) was the big day of the festival and the streets of Gernika were already starting to stink due to a week of garbage workers strike. The shows of Tijuana in Blue, Jotakie, BAP!!, Nahiko, Danba, Zer Bizio, Belladona or Baldin Bada bands, followed several avalanches.

Finally, on Sunday (19 April), on the occasion of the Aberri Eguna, thousands of people approached the already completely overflowed streets of Gernika village. Middle-aged people and whole families mingled with young men with a hangover face and dozens of punks that even dozed on the canopies. On Sunday afternoon, acting basque rock bands such as Potato, Kortatu or Hertzainak, and the punk fever was unleashed completely. The novel organization of the festival began to fail. Before the arrival of the first brigades of of Basque autonomic police, the people stirred, crowded and improvised barricades of fire with garbage bags. Due to serious disturbances and riots nine people were hospitalized, a rather severe one. The first basque rock festival was very caotic, although, curiously, most of those who attended, remember with great affection. As Zurrapak band used to sing, "youth, divine treasure".

Within Zurrapak band played Jose Alberto Batiz, later a renowned guitarist from  many combos such as Tapia eta Leturia Band, Fito & Fitipaldis, Gatibu, Akelarre or EH Sukarra. Zurrapak band published two albums, "Zurrapak" (1987) and "Ezerezean" (1988), and participated in a meritorious rock compilation, "Hemendik" (1987). In 2012, Txapelpunk band will release their song "Divino tesoro", in their great album of covers called "La krem de la krem" (2012). Xe Osti, another band from Gernika, also emerged in the midst of the punk outburst in Basque Country. Xe Osti band would not record any records, except the compilation "Gernika Rock 91" (1991), shared with other three local bands (Rotabator, Hemendio and Fosa Común). Later, several members of Xe Osti would form Exkixu band, achieving a tremendous success within the basque rock scene until its precipitous final in 1997.

Exkixu band recorded a model that caught the attention of the Navarrese label GOR after adding a charismatic singer (Alex Sardui) and an albokari (Iñigo Ibarretxe). The first album of Exkixu band was the homonym "Exkixu" (1993). It was very well received, as was the second album, "Gaua heldu orduko" (1995). The themes of this album were many more dark and rockers. Songs like "Bela beltzek" reflects the social tension that was beating in the streets of Basque Country. Exkixu stood out, above all, for their lively concerts. The peculiar dances that starred Alex Sardui (with his scarf and his inevitable visor), as well as the shocking momotxorros that, bloody, circled on the stage with their sardes. Exkixu band gave about three hundred concerts, almost always achieving a magic combination of hard rock and traditional Basque instruments, such as alboka, trikitixa and txistu.

After the dissolution of the group Exkixu, the singer Alex Sardui would lead Gatibu, an basque combo quite popular. Whose striking lyrics are written and sung in Biscayan basque dialect. In Gatibu band's debut album, "Zoramena" (2000), already collaborated with renowned artists such as Fito Cabrales (Platero y Tú) or Robe Iniesta (Extremoduro). Afterwards, Gatibu band's musical career has been consolidated thanks to the success of works such as "Disko infernu" (2005), "Laino guztien gainetik, sasi guztien azpitik" (2008), "Zuzenean bizitzeko gogoa" (2010), "Zazpi kantoietan" 2012), "Euritan dantzan" (2014),  "Aske maitte, aske bizi" (2016) or "Azken indioak" (2018).

For his part, exbass player of Exkixu band, Jon Mikel Arronategi, allied with Eñaut Elorrieta (Lugarri) to form Ken Zazpi band, another very popular basque pop combo. Step to step, this band of Gernika has been obtaining an appreciable support, even outside the Basque Country area. Inside his first album, "Atzo da bihar" (2001), Ken Zazpi band's members have covers of Pennywise ("Larrun") or the famous Muse band ("Irri bat") in Basque lenguage. Then came works like "Bidean" (2003), "Gelditu denbora" (2005), "Argiak" (2007), "Zazpi urte zuzenean (2009)", "Ortzemugak begietan" (2010), "Ken zazpi & Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa "(2013) or" Phoenicoperus "(2015). In parallel, Eñaut Elorrieta has signed personal albums such as "Deserriko kantak (2013) or "Harian" (2018).

For years, the absence of a powerful gaztetxe in Gernika slowed down the different musical and creative dynamics that were emerging in the area. Finally, the occupation of a part of Astra, an old local factory, gave visibility to this delicate issue in the year 2005. A series of fruitful mobilizations began that made the new Astra a respected multidisciplinary space today. As before it happened with the gaztetxes of Bonberenea (Tolosa), Psilocybenea (Hondarribia), Matadero (Azkoitia) or sadly, closed Kukutza III (Bilbao), the new Astra has grown strongly and has become one of the laboratories of popular culture of the whole Basque Country. Dozens of new Basque rock bands have sprung up inside, continuing the sonorous legacy of pioneering bands from the village, such as Xe Osti, Exkixu, Ortozik, Hartuzak, Exum or Emaiok.

Tooth band is one of those new rock bands from Gernika. They emerged in 2009 and, therefore, belong to the third wave of Basque post-rock. Tooth practicing post-hardcore sounds mixed with noise rock and their musical references range from Dut, Izaera or Lisabö local bands to Helmet or Unsane international bands. In 2009 the members of Tooth recorded a demo, obtaining with her a sweet prize in a music contest, Busturialde Rock. In 2012 Tooth band recorded a EP in the studies Korturec with the help of Jon Urriolabeitia "Urri". With the release of that first mini-album, this basque rock band began to give concerts for Basque Country, reaching very good level and the semifinals of the contest Villa de Bilbao. After several changes of formation, it seems to arrive the definitive formation of Tooth band, Edorta (guitar), Arza (drums) and Mirrik (bass). After offering some thirty concerts, appeared "Bi" (2015), their great second album. It was recorded in Muxikon Studios (Mungia) and since then, Tooth have even turned out of Basque Country, for example, they playing in Asturias, Catalunya or Madrid. "Amaierarik ez..." (2018) album is their third music reference.

As Gernika, the neighboring village of Durango was also bombed during the Spanish Civil War by units of Nazi aviation and spanish fascist troops. That bombing occurred on March 31, 1937. In honor of all its deceased neighbors, a great rock band from Durango took its name from that sinister date, Martxoak 31. After winning a rock contest at Ermua in 1991, tMartxoak 31 band recorded a disc with three songs, "Lau katu" (1991). Later, this basque band would release 'Tentazioa' (1992), which included a version of the song 'Happy when it rains' from an american rock band, Jesus And Mary Chain. The members of Martxoak 31 band shared another split album with a combo of Elorrio village, Non Demontre? In this split Martxoak 31 included "Ene lagun galduak" song, a cover of Midway Still band. After the dissolution of Martxoak 31, Jokin would be part of several bands, as Izurrai or the claimants Seiurte. This basque pop-rock band had albums recordes such as "Seiurte" (2003), "Ekiozu" (2004), "Jauzia" (2006), "Plateruenan zuzenean" (2007), "Lau "(2009), "Atlantida" (2012) and "Ezpalak "(2015).

In the mid 90's, Ekain, one of the components of Seiurte, was tanned playing the drums of Hyssopus band. This basque quintet emerged in the neighboring village of Berriz (Bizkaia). Under GOR music label, Hyssopus would edit their first album, "Hyssopus" (1998). It contained twelve songs of hardcore and punk cane, suitable styles to be able to throw explicit messages against political repression or the continuous degradation of the environment. Hyssopus band's second album, "Galderarik gabeko erantzunak" (2000), was somewhat more metal oriented, relying on accelerated rhythm bases and powerful guitars. The lyrics of Hyssopus used to address the vital human suffering, sex, lack of freedom or the alarming social differences of our society. Before its dissolution, this band would record a last album, "Ametsak borrokatuz" (2002).

Also in Berriz area, but at the end of 2005, formed a young basque pop rock band, Zain. They were Unai (voice and guitar) Asier (guitar), Alberto (bass) and Joshua (drums) and with their first demo, "Zain" (2008), they won a prize In XIX edition of the popular music contest Euskadi Gaztea. After a year of hard work, Zain band present their first album, "XXI.mendeko piratak" (2010), with twelve cucko songs full of catchy melodic punk and alternative rock. After editing another new album, "Egunsenti berri baten bila" (2013), under basque label Baga-Biga, Zain band returns to the studio to self-edit a third album, "Homoaskeak" (2017), with a superb cover and great songs such as "Zer da bizitza?" or "Ate herdoilak".

Meanwhile, the singer and guitarist of Martxoak 31 band, Iban Gorriti, was encouraged to found Ainke, another rock band from Durango (Bizkaia), with whom he would record a cuckoo of the same name, "Ainke" (2002). Other interesting bands from the area of Durangaldea are Alert, Taupada, Cobra, Mocker’s, Eta zer!, Nebrashka or Bat Bitten, a hard rock band formed by several former members of Poliputos band. After recording a couple of models and participating in a local recompilation called "Iparrock" (1995), Bat Bitten band released their first album, "Light" (1999), under the Victorian label Mil A Gritos. Within its debut, the band approached hard-rock with clean guitarras and good riffs, although there was also room for more metal themes, some ballads and even an acoustic piece ("Zu hor zaude"). In their lyrics in Basque, Bat Bitten reflected on the scarce possibilities of prospering in such a capitalist society, on the senseless abuse of drugs and savage consumerism.

In the 80s, the small Bizkaian town of Ermua gave shelter to bands like Saizulo, Anarkitarrak, Jose Maris, Krisban, Pekata Mundi and the well-known Julio Kageta. Thanks to the collaboration of several friends (like Albert) and Ermua bars (the Lurpe bar or the Dada bar), Julio Kageta's members collected thirty thousand pesetas to record their first model, "Hunger and Lice" (1987). That model would be edited, jointly, with another local punk group, Bank of Sperm. Soon, the Basque label Oihuka became interested in them and included them in "Julio Kageta / Pottoka / Kiowak / SS 77" (1990), a disc shared with three other new bands of that time. Later, Julio Kageta ficharían by GOR, a new Navarro seal, editing "Bihar eta berandu" (1991). That debut sounded a lot in the free radios of Euskal Herria and confirmed the passion of this cuco Biscayan group by The Clash, of which they would get to versionar in Euskera "Stay free".

Julio Kageta's second album, "Mestizu" (1993), reflected a remarkable evolution towards sounds closer to funk and pop-rock. In that disc including "Fusion na forxa", a Galician version of a song of Urban Dance Squad. "Ermua has a lot of people from the outside does not mean that all these people, all of us, do not feel like Basque speakers. In our village there is a lot of mixing." After the dissolution of Julio Kageta, several members formed Dantzut, publishing an album, "Nahiezkero" (1998), under the seal Gipuzkoan IZ. After the band's vocalist, Esther, the restless Juanmi (drums), Iker (guitar) and Markos (bass) joined guitarist Carlos Balseiro renaming themselves as P.A.M. (Puto Amoak Matematiketan). PAM has been releasing a handful of good guitar records since then, "PAM" (2001), "The killing washing machine" (2003), "1x4" (2005), "Heldu ... inoiz ez" (2007), "5!2" (2013) or "Hurrengoan bai" (2015). Another musical project that emerged in Ermua would be the OLOR band. Designed by musician Jokin Azpiazu Carbello, in their first reference they explore the paths of electronic pop, "Zerua urez" (2019).

In the locality of Zaldibar would arise Quattro Clavos, an euskaldun band whose metal rock would be projected in works like "Bai salai!" (1992) or "Ta erotu ez" (1996). The battery of Quattro Clavos, Joserra Garitaonaindia, would be part of the gestation of a celebrated state disc, "Pedrá" (1995), signed by group Extremoduro. Joserra collaborated with the musicians Robe Iniesta, Iñaki "Uoho" (Platero y Tú), Dieguillo (Cicatriz) and Selu (Recidivists) and, after rehearsing for several weeks in a local of Zaldibar, carried out the recording of "Pedrá" Studies Lorentzo Records of Berriz (Bizkaia), next to Aitor Ariño and Josu Monje. The charismatic Rober Iniesta would come to record in Basque a version of one of his themes, "Autorretrato".

In the neighboring village of Mallabia, on New Year's Eve 1993, born Izaro, an basque female songwriter with a very powerful voice. The young Izaro made his live debut in October 2014, at Trabakua Behekoa (upper Mallabia) tavern and, two years later, she presented her first album, "Om" (2016), full of intimate pop songs with some folk touches. "There are tracks on the album very different from each other. They are nice songs, some are quiet and nostalgic, but others are more danceable". Although her mother language is Basque, Izaro usually combines lirycs in Basque, Spanish or English. "The spanish language has a special charm, it makes magnificent mediocre lyrics. While the english lenguage, melodically, is better complemented by my voice. I choose unconsciously, it's as if the songs know in what language they want to be sung, I just obey them" ."Hankapuntetan I" (2017) or "Eason" (2018) are her next music works. The future of this new artist is quite promising.

In the little village of Markina-Xemein there are punk bands such as Oliba Gorriak or Txato Plato. The former have a long career carved out of works such as "Ogi gogorrari, hagin zorrotza!" (2005), "Bake faltsuari gerra" (2006), "Garaipenera arte!" (2014) or "Ideien guda" (2014). Oliba Gorriak was born in 2001, when Eneko, Koldo and Josu, three friends of the same gang created, almost by way of play, their own punk-rock band. Later Iban, Unai and Gaizka (taking the place of Koldo) would be added. Although they only had a guitar and a bass, Oliba Gorriak began to create songs without fear, using music as a tool for agitation and, thus, creating consciousness in favor of the class struggle and the national liberation of Euskal Herria. In 2015 Oliba Gorriak said goodbye playing for the last time at the solidarity festival HatortxuRock. His countrymen of the Txato Plato group also dress their punkish outbursts and their festive ska with lyrics. The records "Bi potroaz" (2007) or "Biba Kapitaina" (2010) bear witness to this.

The small town of Elorrio has been home to heavy metal bands such as Irao, authors of the album "Menpe" (1997), and more rock bands such as Lor. The members of Lor helped put their small town on the Basque language map thanks to "Lor" (2003), "Bakoitzari berea" (2005) or "Rock therapy" (2009). From the ashes of Lor, Ainke or Yakuzi would emerge, flaming winners of Villa de Bilbao in 2006. Practicing an elegant instrumental post-rock, Yakuzi members alternate quiet passages and more raw and direct parts. His elegant albums "Yakuzi" (2003), "Ibai lehorretan itota" (2004), "Hot spa" (2008) or "Ausardiaren garaia" (2011) are a delight for any new lover of environmental rock. 

Another good euskaldun rock band emerged in the area of Elorrio are the powerful Sermond's. Their albums waste energy and raw rock. These young musicians may not invent almost anything, but they do not pretend either. With pure simplicity by flag and with tons of rocky honesty, Sermond`s members sing in Basque lenguage and they usually kick the stages of the Basque Country without ever hiding their passion for punk rock from bands as popular as Hellacopters or Turbonegro. After debuting with "Amaiera has been dator" (2011) under the label Mauka, this band was polishing its own style, approaching more stoner sounds thanks to new albums such as "Bidegurutzean" (2013), "Libelula" (2015) or "Sermond's" (2017) In short, they are a combo to claim... Biba zuek!!