K is Kepa’s first live album, which was quite a challenge for him at the time. For six months, rehearsals were recorded to identify any technical or musical issues; as engineer Mikel F. Krutzaga recalls, “we rented a mobile unit brought in from Paris, with 48 channels and Pro Tools storage capacity , which allowed us to prepare the subsequent mixes.”

The sessions took place over three consecutive days at the Arriaga Theater in Bilbao. The first recording, on Friday, was scrapped due to a sense of constraint among both the musicians and the audience. Saturday morning’s session was repeated without an audience, and after lunch, the afternoon session proceeded more smoothly, achieving the desired results. On Sunday, due to the audience’s euphoric response, the recordings were unusable. The goal was to balance each instrument so that the 19 tracks on the album would sound crisp and clear.

The core group consisted of Igor Otxoa & Harkaitz Martínez, Dani Tomás, Kike Mora, Kepa Calvo, Iñaki Plaza, and Ibon Koteron, along with guests such as Bulgarka, the wind section of La Bottine Souriante, the strings of the Alos Quartet, the Donostia choir, and Patrick Vaillant on mandolin. Standout tracks include “Herrik Shaw,” a dynamic piece driven by La Bottine and released as a single, and “Sunne,” dedicated to Kepa’s youngest daughter, where the voices of Bulgarka engage in a subtle dialogue with the triki.

The album completes the trilogy that began with “Bilbao 00:00h” and “Maren,” blending instruments and voices from different cultures and incorporating modern arrangements into traditional compositions. The opening track, “Oliene,” combines the energy of the Alos Quartet with the voices of Bulgarka, followed by “Huriondo,” a musical duet between Kepa and Patrick, who also arranged “Del Hierro a Madagascar,” now in an instrumental version. Other lengthy pieces include “Huriondo” (over 9 minutes), “Busturiko vikingoak” (nearly 8), and “Odolaren boza” (11 minutes), featuring introductions with cardboard tubes, gongs, txalaparta, and arrangements by the Alos Quartet.

In the final stretch, the audience enjoyed “Gaztelugatxeko martxa” with La Bottine at full throttle, the fast-paced “Bok espok,” and the catchy “Ny Hirahira,” where the fusion of La Bottine and Bulgarka closed the album with a bang. The album was recognized with the Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album, an unexpected achievement for Mikel F. Krutzaga: “I recorded everything at the Arriaga and mixed it in Amasa-Villabona, so I saw it as a local project for the Basque Country.” It was a great source of satisfaction for the entire team.

Record label: Emi-Hispavox / Capitol. Production: Kepa Junkera.