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Written in fRoots issue 229, 2002


JUAN MARI BELTRAN
Arditurri
Elkar KD-614 (2002)

Wondering what else there is to Euskal (Basque) music apart from trikitixa? Listen here.
      Beltran is a leading player of most of the traditional instruments, particularly the blown ones: the high reedy cow-horned alboka, which has two tubes each with a reed, sounding like a high bagpipe but with no bag, the fat, shawm-like dultzaina, the higher txanbela, the one-handed three-hole whistle txistu or smaller xirula self-accompanied on the ttunttuna (a stringed percussion instrument consisting of a long sound box with six thick strings that are struck all together with a stick), plus the tronpa (jew’s-harp), and the bowed two-string rebec-like arrabita.
      To make a more or less complete set of Euskadi’s traditional instruments he’s brought in other top players: the woody clatter of txalaparta from Felipe Ugarte of the excellent young Ugarte brothers duetting with either Beltran or Iñigo Monreal, Iñigo Lurgain on chromatic button accordeon, Joseba Tapia on trikitixa (melodeon), Miriam Atxaerando’s fiddle, the rattle of Oihana Irastortza’s panderoa (tambourine), the grunt of the friction drum ttipiuntzia, and vocally the characteristically Euskal powerful high tenor of Aitor Gabilondo and the calm, still voice of Madi Oihenart.
      Apart from a touch of guitar on one track from producer Suso Sáiz, and occasional djembe, the album uses just those instruments, put together in various combinations in a most satisfactory way, and recorded strong and upfront in a fine set of songs and tunes from the traditions of the Basque regions or springing new-made from them. Alboka tunes, arin-arins, porrusaldas, fiddle tunes, a slow jota, a faster jota-fandango, a march, a love song.
      Perhaps to describe it as a definitive album would be to suggest that tradition is definable, and if it were that it would be dead, but, well, so far this is as definitive as it gets, and it will remain a classic no matter what else comes along.


© 2002 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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