Oreka TX
The Basques are a unique group of people whose origins are somewhat surrounded in mystery. They are believed to be prehistoric inhabitants of Europe and possibly the direct descendants of Cro-Magnon man; their language is entirely different from any other European language and it is apparently the only Western European language that does not belong to the Indo-European family.
But they have another unique thing … the TXALAPARTA.
This percussion instrument consists of some wood planks placed on two stands covered with an insulating material. Wood freely vibrates when two people (txalpartaris) vertically hit them, each one with two wooden sticks.
The origin of the Txalaparta is surrounded by myths. Some people place it in the prehistoric cavern , imitating their galloping sound. Or used as a way of communication among Basque tribes.
It almost disappeared. In the 1960s few played it openly. The Zuaznabar brothers of Lasarte, then known as the last txalaparta players (as the Goikoetxea brothers), had to keep their instrument hidden away for fear of arrest by the Spanish Civil Guard; it was considered an overt sign of Basque identity, forbidden during the dictatorship.
Since then the txalaparta has undergone a renaissance, in part through the efforts of Oreka TX.
Harkaitz Mtnez. de San Vicente (born in San Sebastian - Donostia, 1975) and Igor Otxoa (born in San Sebastian - Donostia, 1973) have played the txalaparta as a pair since 1997, the year in which Oreka Tx was born. That same year, they also joined a band led by the noted basque composer, musician, and master of the trikitixa (diatonic accordion) Kepa Junkera, a collaboration that garnered them a Latin Grammy®. They have shared the stage and/or recorded with a host of international stars, such as, Altan, Taraf de Haidouks, Pat Metheny, Alasdair Fraisier, Hendingarna, Dulce Pontes, Phil Cunningham, Oskorri, Hevia , María del Mar Bonet, Carlos Núñez, …
Oreka Tx's first album, Quercus Endorphina, was produced by Kepa Junkera and released by Elkarlanean in 2001. Tracks from this album were featured in the show “Txalaparta” by the famous Spanish dancer and choreographer Nacho Duato, represented by the National Company of Dancing at the most important auditoriums and theatres all over the world.
In that year they formed their band (Oreka TX Band) and started to give concerts with it. They have also used festivals around Europe, America, Africa and Japan as a launchpad to gain awareness for the Txalaparta, but the real turning point came in 2004 when they embarked on the project Nömadak Tx. Oreka Tx had the vision that the Txalaparta could facilitate encounters, and playing the instrument provides a means of communicating with others. Since 2004, they have travelled the world, using the Txalaparta as their vehicle and centerpiece, meeting musicians and discovering the reality of faraway peoples, from Mongolia to Sahara, from Lapland to India. During their travels, they compiled visual and sound material, with a clear goal in mind: to share this music, these sounds, these images, and these experiences. Their dream has become a reality and the result was an astounding documentary called Nömadak Tx which won multiple awards at international film festivals.
Oreka TX, accompanied by musicians gathered together for the occasion, invites us to go on an unusual concert - journey, in a combination of music and on-stage images. The musicians play music created during their travels to India, Lapland, the Sahara and Mongolia, alongside other musicians who appear on a large screen. This screen, set at the back of the stage, becomes a huge window, to view and discover different places and different peoples. Through experimentation and fusion, the Txalaparta is given new life, and evolves towards ever new horizons, with a heightened appreciation of diverse cultures an inevitable outcome.
