Where has love come from for old songs?

I've always sung with my father and family since I was a kid. My late father had the most beautiful voice I've ever heard in my life. What a pity not having recorded! My father sang out loud and my mother from below. The song was natural. Before, people used to sing for the village or in the town inns, and that's the atmosphere we've always known. In Eratsun, in addition, something very special happened in my childhood. About 40 young people were going to work on the mountain at the beginning of the year and back for the Eratsun festivities on 8 September. They all came at once, the speakers rang and all the people waited for us in the corners of the square. In the festivities of Eratsun, Christmas and carnivals held last Saturday by the King, everything was singing. Then the young people would go to the mountain.

Before I start organizing the sessions, I spent a couple of years recovering old homemade and homemade songs. I sat by the fireplace and wrote down what my parents were singing. I didn't even know what the Internet was, and so I knew a lot of songs. Sunbilla's cure also gave me a lot of money.

How did you become a hobby?

We've been doing food for the fifths of Baztan's 67, and there they also have a lot of habit of singing, but I saw that we started singing and people don't know many letters and we finished all the songs with lalala. Twelve years ago we thought why not make a singing meal and put letter photocopies next to the dishes and then sing to taste. So we organized lunch in the Ulibeltzak society of Sunbilla, thinking about the family, about 40 people, getting close. It was full, 109 people! When I opened the doors, also outside, there were a lot of people who were listening and singing. We did not expect such a success.

The next year, we organized another one in the Lur Hall of Elizondo. They entered 250 people to eat, and in the afternoon they got about 800 to sing. Everything was accomplished, everything was filled, nice, they had a great time. Alex Mujika made the food with the pigeons and fungi, and there were Jaione Olazabal, Xabier Euskitze… but since Sunbilla’s was warm and sweet, this seemed cold, on the site. The old song asks for sweetness and food. It was seasonal. That too has its charm. There was the accordionist Jose Angel Elizalde and he told me that there was a very nice place for that in Dantxarinea [Urdax district], Benta Peion. Lugaran restaurant of the Martiko family. I went to see and they really liked the idea. In addition, her father is very fond of music. We stayed for the last Saturday of November to make the food.

Why on that date?

The end of the hunting season and the arrival of Christmas, is the perfect weekend. Every year, Marti's family helps me a lot. What is the site is the stone, the wood -- very rich, and big, about 500 people come in and everything is full. That day there is everything: singing, joaldunak, dantzaris, musicians, surprises… From noon until 22:30 there.

I started with singing meals, then I followed the concerts, and five years ago I left the truck and decided to dedicate myself to this alone.

The first concert you commissioned was for a burnt house?

Yes, in 2010. The Musun dwarf in the Arkiskil district of Leitza was completely burned on February 28 and I was told to do a great concert for him. Pantxoa eta Peio, Erramun Martikorena, Jaione Olazabal, dantzaris, coros… in the plaza we set two scenarios and it was very nice. In 2012 I organized a tribute to Xabier Lete, Imanol and Laboa at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao. The old song has no limits.

What did the old songs give you?

A lot of things. Mindset, to begin with. It doesn't matter who's on the left and who's on the right, or how everyone thinks. Culture serves to unite everyone. Most of the old songs, 90%, are old verses that capture the history of Euskal Herria: of the church, of the sport, of the pastors, of the fishermen, of the family, of the Americas, of the wars… For me the largest study, the biggest race, is to literally listen to all of them. We don’t know who they are, but on other occasions they see Xenpelar, Txirrita… a thousand bertsolaris excellent. As long as there is bertsolaris in Euskal Herria there will be old songs. Seeing the young bertsolaris is a great thing.

The other day I had a nice surprise, at home. I was cooking food in the kitchen and studying the eldest son, when I heard singing. He likes old songs like his brother. The two sons persecute their father. It seemed to me that it was the bertsos of Txirrita, but no, it was Lazkao Txiki, who had stood before the mirror. Very nice. I thought I read, but I had all learned by heart. I took a great surprise. Now, my son has asked me for tickets because his entire crew wants to go to Dantxarinea. It's very nice to see so young people around the song. Last year, there were about 200 out of 500 young people and more women than men. I am very happy about that because it shows that we are all equal. At Sunbilla, the first time I saw women playing mus at the inn, I was surprised, because at Eratsun I had never seen it, and it's nice to see how things are changing for the better.

You filled the Palace of Congresses Baluarte up to the top with the program Iruñea Kantuan, in times of UPN…

I organized it for the first time four years ago, and although it was still a difficult time, we managed to get through. It's very difficult to live in the world of culture. Aid, sponsorship. Fortunately, last year there was a great change in Navarre and what the City Council of Pamplona and the Government of Navarre have done is to congratulate and thank them. Not just for me, for culture in general, for what is being done. I know that it's not easy and that we've all gone to ask all of a sudden, but they're doing a lot of things. The mere partnership is a great success. Then you'll decide whether you're doing things or not, or how you're going to do things, but being able to talk, listening is something new to me. Although I tried it a thousand times with the previous government and with the City Council of Pamplona, I was never opened. I was in pain, in Gipuzkoa, in Bizkaia, everywhere I opened the doors, and instead in Navarre, at home, always in impossibility.

How about the singing meal of the sanfermines?

In the Sanfermines this year we celebrated the first singing meal in Baluarte. It was spectacular. Nor did I expect such a good result. Excited people, dancing… Everything was accomplished. The staging was very well prepared with the help of ETB. From the very beginning there was an amazing atmosphere of party and animation. In Eperra, in the death of Xalbador, we gave all the usual songs, but with another humor.

How are the meals you have organized?

There are two ways to make meals: South and North. In the south you eat, drink and sing. In the North, instead, they sing while they're eating. That is the way I have chosen and it is terrible.

The Old Songs Day celebrated every year in Dantxarinea on the last Saturday of November is increasingly successful. Why?

Because it's a very sensitive day. People sing, dancing and getting excited. Once one told me that in Xalbador's death we shouldn't sing because he was crying. I said yes, that's beautiful and that you have to accept that feeling. It doesn't matter if you feel emotion in front of others and you don't have to hide. That's good for the old song.

The program was recorded four years ago by ETB and since then many more people from all over Euskal Herria, also from outside. There are many left without entry.

What's the first song?

The first song is always Euskal Herrian Euskaraz. Always and anywhere. It's a beautiful song to warm up people. Melody and lyrics are very nice. In addition, I think it gives people a lot of respect.

Is organizing the order of songs one of the keys to success?

Yes, it is. To make the list of songs I need a couple of months, or more. There are a lot of people who want a lot of Basque culture and Basque culture, but who unfortunately do not know Basque, and we must also take this into account. In a concert the songs have to be at first simple, sweet but pretty, like Eperra, La Ribera, for example, and in the end, you need more and more vitality to put them up. To achieve this you have to play with songs, musicians, choirs, children…

It starts in Navarre and is now touring the entire Basque Country, right?

I travel from town to town, Markina, Ondarroa, Bera… Everywhere they call me. In some places they think: “If you can’t get an entry for Dantxarinea, why not bring Angel here?” And Angel, she's Angel, and she goes everywhere to taste. In the first year, 40 people met in Ondarroa. This year, in the second, there were 150. I always try to get the locals involved: musicians, dancers, children… What about the children is very nice. Here they come to sing the children of Sarriguren [town] and Mendillorri [neighborhood of Pamplona]. Everyone is offered the chance to come, to anyone raise their hand and come. It doesn't matter whether or not you have a nice voice. You can all come. In my youth, I had a very bad experience, I tried to get into a crown and they didn't catch me. Then I tried it on another Donostia team. That is why no one is left out here.

You move many professional musicians for the sessions.

We try to invite local musicians and groups. In Bizkaia Alex Sardui, Korrontzi or the choir of Getxo, in Donostia the choir Easo or Urko; in Iruñea the choir Paz de Ziganda, the dantzaris… Others always come with me: Jaione Olazabal and Aitor Ibarra Jalisko for example. So are the joaldunak of Zubieta, who are an important part of our culture. People enjoy with them. All evil spirits are sent to shore and achieve good harmony. On the other hand, Txema Garcés is a great friend. It's the arranger of all the songs and an exceptional bass player. In the same way Juantxo Zeberio with piano, Joxerra Mitxelena with guitar, Francisco Herrero with violin, Iñaki Diéguez with accordion, Asier Oleaga with percussion… all of them very good musicians.

What are the main dating from now on?

On 5 November we will be in the Barañain Auditorium, on 26 in Dantxarinea Kanta Zahar, on 3 December in Kursaal and on 17 December in Petritegi, Astigarraga. On 3 December we will have a dinner at Kursaal. Xabier Euskitze, Maria Molategi, Pantxoa Carrere, Bankako Menditarrak and Joaldunak will be responsible for the broadcast starting at 17:00 hours. There will be Leitza dancers, butters, Scottish music and many surprises.

Haven't you done anything with the American diaspora?

Not yet. I've been called from Argentina to Canada to organize singing sessions in Euskal Etxeas and other places, but I have to think, because I have a lot of projects to do here. I would like to bring music and dance from other countries, such as Scots or Irish. Or invite a gospel group to sing with those here. I would also like to go to Catalonia and bring the cultures and songs together here and there.