Gaur forjariak lana utzirik
gatoz guztiok kalera
labeak oso itzaldu eta
protesta bat egitera.
Mailu burdinak bota ditugu
hantxe bertan bazterrera
ez dugu nahi berriro ere
toki hartara lanera.
Dinbili, danba ! gau eta goiza
su eta keen artean
sosegu eta deskantsu gabe
geure buruen kaltean,
horrexegatik lanak utzirik
gatoz guztiok batean.
Gora, bai gora beti, gora forjaria !
langile trebe zintzo da mailukaria
lurpera, bai lurpera beti nagusia !
ez digute egingo nahi duten guztia.
Ez badigu ematen arrazoia guri,
ez badigu ematen behar legez ongi
su emango diogu geure fabrikari
eta nagusiaren etxe guztiari.
Hiru babarrun jateagatik
horrenbeste neke, pena,
erdi ustelik aurkitzen dute
forjariaren barrena,
gure kontura egiten dute
nagusiek nahi dutena
gure lepotik gizentzen dute
bete faltrikara dena.
Oso goizetik lanean hasi
su eta keen artean,
dinbili, danba ! gelditu gabe
guztiz ilundu artean,
arropa denak puskatzen eta
osasunaren kaltean.
Ez badigute guri jornalik haunditzen
berriro gu ez gara lanera bihurtzen
arrazoiz gehiago badugu eskatzen
ez gaituzte inola hoiek ikaratzen.
Ez badigu ematen arrazoia guri,
ez badigu ematen behar legez ongi
su emango diogu geure fabrikari
eta nagusiaren etxe guztiari.
Ez badigu ematen arrazoia guri,
ez badigu ematen behar legez ongi
su emango diogu geure fabrikari
eta nagusiaren etxe guztiari.
it’s should,/ we will set on fire our factory/ and all the boss’ house.
(Herriak ez du barkatuko -1975-76)
One of the best voices among the Basque songwriters was Imanol.
Imanol Larzabal Goñi was born in Saint Sebastian (Sp. San Sebastián;
Eus. Donostia) in 1947. In despite of the hard prohibition that
Francoist authorities make on the Basque language use, at his home
always was spoken Euskara, the Basques’ immemorial language. Imanol was a young activist: being young he was a dantzari (traditional Basque dancer) as a member of the cultural Basque group Argia (light), he began to sings in Basque since 1964; in 1968 gets into the universitarian abertzale
(a Basque word that means a Basque patriot) studients union, and
finally he joins as a ally and supporter of ETA: Basque Country and
Freedom (Eus. Euskadi ta Askatasuna; Sp. País Vasco y Libertad), when
this armed group means other thing that today (look behind) and records
an EP under the pseudonim of Mitxel Etxegarai. In 1971 he was arrested
for "belongings to armed band"; gets free, but when the regime arrests
an ETA activistists, in the called Burgos process, he decides to
exiliate himself to France. There he mets Paco Ibáñez,
a son of Spanish refugiates, who has being singing great Spanish poems
from all times. With his help and friendship, Imanol records his first
LP "Orain borrokarenean…" (Now in the fight). He also recorded in
France others great albums: one with Castilian female-songwriter Elisa Serna; with the Britain great folk group Gwendal he recorded two LPs: Herriak ez du barkatuko! (People shall not forgive!) in France, and Lau haizetara
(To the four winds) in Spain, after to obtain Amnesty in 1977. In Spain
already he records a lot of well templated records as in Basque as in
Spanish. For deffending ex-ETA activist Yoyes’ remember, killed by her
own ex-companions-in-arms, he gets threats from ETA, so he went out
Basque Country. Imanol finally died in 2004, in Orihuela.
Imanol’s
art and deep voice has been defined as a voice of soil. His songs was a
middle of poetry and traditional Basque music and songs, and he always
loved his land. His friends still carrying him in the heart.(Oskorri’s Oskorri -1979-)
Oskorri (lit. red sky: os: sky, gorri: red; fig. sunset or dawn) is the great and revolutionary Basque folk-group. Formed originally by Natxo de Felipe, Bixente Martínez and Antón Latxa with others at the 70’s beginnings, during the Spanish folk revolution all along the country. Inspired by progressive folk groups, as British Jethro Tull, and starting almost at the same time than others great folk groups as Britain’s Gwendal or Pentangle, from Ireland, Oskorri mix Basque traditional ballads and music with progressive elements, besides the powerful poetry of Gabriel Aresti or by his songwriter and lead singer Natxo de Felipe, with regional and political vindications. Between their LPs are Gabriel Arestiren oroimenez (In homage to Gabriel Aresti), Oskorri (Red Sky/ Sunset); Alemanian euskaraz (Talking Basque in Germany), Bernat Etxepare and others. Happily, Oskorri still is in active and in a good fit.
Euskal Kanta Berria (New Basque
Song) was a movement of Basque songwriters with the pretension of
vindicate and save Basque language, music and culture, and a
vindication of their land, the so named Euskal Herria (Basque Land/
Basque People). Between this movement, there were collectives as and Argia (light) and Ez dok Amairu (There’s no Thirteen). Between them we can name people as important as Mikel Laboa, Lourdes Iriondo, Benito Lertxundi, Imanol, Lupe, Oskorri… In
differance of others regionals songwriters movements, Euskal Kanta
Berria used to play the Basque traditional music since the beginnig
with their poems or those from great Basque poets as Gabriel Aresti. Within this movement, songwriters Antton Valverde, J. A. Artze and Xabier Lete make the most of these songs.
The 70’s Spanish folk revolution. As in other countries, in the 70s appeared in Spain a lot of songwriters and groups that made vindicate songs with the traditional music from their lands. With the precedent in the 60s of Castilian folksinger Joaquín Díaz, the Catalan collective Grup de Folk (Folk Group), the Basque collective Ez dok Amairu, the Asturian songwriter Víctor Manuel and the global folk group Nuestro Pequeño Mundo (Our little world), started to appear a lot of songwriters as, from Aragón, José Antonio Labordeta, from Extrremadura Pablo Guerrero, from Andalucia the movement Nuevo Flamenco (New Flamenco) and the collective Manifiesto Canción del Sur (South’s Song Manifest), from Balear Islands María del Mar Bonet, Castilian Ismael and Elisa Serna, Galician Benedicto and Bibiano, and others; and groups like Asturian Nuberu (an Asturian genius), Galician Fuxan os Ventos (May run the winds), Basques Oskorri (Red Sky) or Aseari; Castilians Nuevo Mester de Juglaría (New Minstrel’s Work) or La Fanega (a kind of land’s measure); from Aragon La Bullonera or Boira (Fog); Jarcha (a mozarabian poetic composition) from Andalucia; Uc from Ibiza Island; Al Tall from Valencia; and many others.
La Zamarra de Gustavo 