He did so in the Faktoria program of the Basque Country Irratia: “My salty and sweet is today. Today I am 75 years old and I want to inform all the listeners that today I have made the decision to leave Bertsolaris. I'm going to leave the audience. Today, on the day I turned 7, I sang in the bar the first bertso in public, along with my father. Another zarzal bertsolari passed the txapela and for that time he got a fortune. Since then, we've been here. Today I’m over that journey.” He mentioned the last three sessions, which were organized knowing that they would be the last ones: on April 22 in Legazpi; in the bars at the back of the Plaza San Antón in Bilbao; and the one that “excited” the most, on April 29 in Altzo. He did so in Altzo, the “last” public dinner of bertsos, with his daughter Miren. It will therefore leave the place in the relay. (bertsoa.com shows the interview done in Altzo and his last sung farewell).

The new versification of bertsolarism in prison

In 1965 he was ordained a priest and from 1968 on, during Franco's dictatorship, he was imprisoned for seven years in three different prisons. In 1976 he abandoned the priestly career and began his career as bertsolari. He has been twice champion of Euskal Herria by bertsolaris: 1980 and 1982. As recognised by the Bertsozale Elkartea Database: “In the 1980 championship, it was a great novelty in the world of Bertsolarism. Their language, their world of images and metaphors, and, in general, their way of structuring the verses, were peculiar, different from what was done until then. He also introduced great innovations in measurements and melodies: he produced many stanzas and melodies, very different from those produced until then. With Amuriza, Bertsolarism entered a new era.” Behind them, several top-notch bertsolaris have acknowledged Amuriza’s influence on them, including Bertsolari Andoni Egaña.

Teacher in school as in the plaza

At the time when it was said that bertsolari was born (in the 1980s) Amuriza “If that is the condition, you already fulfill it! You were born!” he cried to explain that later he learned to bertsolarize. Many of the Eskolas bertso emerged from these courses taught by Xabier Amuriza. The first was the bertsolaris school in Santutxu.

In competitions

Champion of the Bertsolaris Championship in 1980 and 1982 and third in 1986.

Always abrasive

According to the Bertsozale Elkartea Database, in the 1990s he left the plaza and made an effort to work in other formats (he promoted sessions without interpreters, called “Integral Sessions”):Lazkao Txiki bat-sorgina improvised, acting with his passages and verses; talk Messages of a century (URLs 1), in the history that he saw

Spend time writing

Amuriza has decided to devote her creativity to full writing. He already has a rich book, both verses books and biography, translation, novel, poetry and essay.