Hiri presents a sonic journey inspired by cities he travelled to around the world, where the urban environment coexists with rural roots. The cover, showing the musician multiplied in a crowded street, reflects this idea of constant travel and family memory: “although we come from the city, we never forget the legacy of our aitas and aitites (parents and grandparents), who brought the music of the villages into the urban neighbourhoods,” says the musician from Bilbao. Photographs by Aitor Ortiz accompany this cosmopolitan journey, featuring Bulgarka, Glen Vélez, Alos Quartet, Budiño, Melonious Quartet, and percussionists such as the Catalan Tactequeté or the Italian Enzo Avitabile & I Bottari di Portico. It also includes local choirs and regular collaborators: Gilles Chabenat, José Antonio Ramos, Alain Bonnin or Andy Narell, alongside international artists such as Eliseo Parra, Mercedes Peón, Enzo, and Azerbaijani singer Aygun.

The core backing band is formed by Etxak, with Plaza and Garmendia on txalaparta and percussion, and Kepa Calvo on drums and cymbals, who plays a more prominent role than other rhythm-section musicians such as Kike Mora, Dani Tomás and Ibon Koteron. Frédérick Manoukian once again handles string and vocal arrangements, providing cohesion to the whole work. Kepa explains that in Hiri the focus shifts more towards melody than rhythm, emphasising that each piece is almost a monographic work dedicated to the city that inspires it.

The selection of cities combines both exotic and familiar names: Sunne, Kiruna, Agadir, Reno, Buenos Aires, Napoli, Kokkola, Nagoya, Tbilisi and Yaiza, alongside Basque towns such as Busturia, Ataun or Rekalde, and the small village of Arsèguel, the annual meeting point for Pyrenean accordionists. Some compositions originate from specific experiences: “Kokkola” was born during a course in Finland where Kepa taught Basque instruments to students, while “Tbilisi” comes from a trip with Oskorri to Georgia, during the Soviet-influenced period. In each case, the deep connection between personal experience and the sonic identity of each place is evident, with voices and melodies capturing the essence of travel and traditional memory.

Record label: Elkar. Production: Kepa Junkera.