The project Ath-Thurdâ emerged from an artistic residency in Évora, where Kepa Junkera spent a week working with local musicians and singers without any predefined repertoire. The dynamics were based on sharing songs, improvising arrangements and recording the pieces wherever they naturally arose, preserving the spontaneity of each encounter.

The core of the album revolves around the Alentejo songs of Cantares de Évora and expands through contributions from Mara —the central voice of the project— alongside Beatriz Nunes, Celina da Piedade, Antonio Bexiga, Amílcar Vasques-Dias, Carlos Menezes, Mário Lopes, Galandum Galundaina, Gigabombos do Imaginário, Vozes de Abril and Vozes do Imaginário. This generational and stylistic diversity defines the album’s sonic identity.

The recording process alternated between sessions in the rehearsal spaces of the participating groups and studio recordings, resulting in a collection of twenty-two pieces: traditional songs and compositions created during the residency itself. Among the latter are “Evorako arin arin”, the instrumental “Alentejoko fandangoak”, “Alboka Alcacovasen”, “Aguia com Mattin Treku” and “Costurako martxa”, inspired by the rhythm of seamstress Marta Gaspar Rico’s sewing machine.

Some recordings, such as “Sementeira”, were made outdoors near the Cromeleque dos Almendres, reinforcing the project’s connection to the territory. The album culminates with “Grândola vila morena”, recorded together with Vozes de Abril —an informal choir of around 150 people— in a collective take that became one of the residency’s most powerful moments.

Released in September 2018, Ath-Thurdâ also served as a presentation letter for Évora’s candidacy to become European Capital of Culture 2027. The album synthesises fieldwork, collaborative creation and sonic exploration, revealing Kepa’s remarkable ability to integrate himself into other musical traditions without losing his own artistic language.

Record label: Alain Vachier Music Edition. Production: Kepa Junkera.