Etxea opens the trilogy completed by Kalea and Herria, conceived to bring together traditional Basque songs sung in Euskera by artists from around the world. This first volume features more than 40 prominent voices, including Estrella Morente, Ana Belén & Víctor Manuel, Lluís Llach, Miguel Ríos, Luis Eduardo Aute, María del Mar Bonet, Dulce Pontes, Teresa Salgueiro, Luis Pastor, Loquillo, Pedro Guerra, João Afonso, Mafalda Arnauth, Pau Donés, Santiago Auserón, Amancio Prada, Marina Rossell, Jaime Urrutia, Andrés Calamaro, Miguel Bosé, Joaquín Díaz and Guadi Galego. It includes nearly thirty pieces such as “Haurtxo txikia”, “Maitia nun zira”, “Oriko txoria”, “Oh Pello Pello”, “Haika mutil”, “Loriak udan” and “Urzo xuria”. A short text by José Saramago defines the project as a “musical village where all the peoples of the world are represented, as if it were a shared house”, concluding that “the architect and builder of all this is called Kepa”, a handwritten note the Bilbao musician keeps among his most treasured possessions.

The idea had been developing for years while Kepa patiently collected traditional songs. The musical base was recorded in five cities: Havana with pianist Roberto Fonseca, Lisbon with Pedro Jóia and António Chainho, Madrid with Michel Camilo, and Barcelona with Chano Domínguez. Later, vocal parts were added in more than a dozen studios across the Iberian Peninsula, aiming to take the first step towards the universalisation of the Basque repertoire. All songs were translated and explained in Spanish and Portuguese, and final mixing was carried out by Kepa and Unai González Mimenza.

Kepa initially assumed many guests would accept the invitation and later decline due to scheduling issues. Instead, he discovered that for them it was a genuine challenge: an opportunity to engage with the richness of languages and melodies passed down through generations. The sonic intention was to record naturally, without a click track, allowing instruments to breathe, with triki, piano or bandoneon alternating as accompaniment depending on the piece. Roberto Fonseca, Michel Camilo, Chano Domínguez and José Luis Canal contribute piano textures, while Enrique Tellería plays bandoneon on selected tracks.

Etxea was released on 30 September, four months after the death of timple player José Antonio Ramos, a close collaborator of Kepa for ten years and an essential figure in the project. His passing left an emotional imprint on an album defined by simplicity, honesty and commitment from all participants.

Record label: Hiri Records / Warner. Production: Kepa Junkera.