New album from Aire Ahizpak | Culture

After a first disc, “Bidexka”, released in 2014, the group Aire Ahizpak returned to the studio. The result is called “Eskerrak Bizitza”, a CD of five songs that have been part of the repertoire of the granddaughters of bersolari Xalbador in recent years.

“People who have seen us in kantaldi have heard them before but they weren’t on the first album. At the time, we were already singing the song “Eskerrak bizitza”, then the others, but without ever recording them and we wanted to keep a record,” explains Paxkalin Aire.

“Eskerrak bizitza”, the title song, is the adaptation of the famous “Gracias a la vida” by the Chilean artist Violeta Parra. “We had Jon Baez’s version in our heads for a long time with the desire to sing this song,” continues the singer. Amets Arzallus signed the Basque adaptation.

We find on this album the famous “Nigarra begian”, by Xalbador, of which Benito Lertxundi had previously recorded only three verses. This time, it is indeed the full version, specifies Paxkalin Aire. “We sing them all because we didn’t know what to take away, everything seems important.” Amaia, Miren and Paxakalin Aire also sing on this album “Ez uste izan”, a text by Manex Erdozaintzi-Etxart, “Gazte hiltzera doana” (Jean-Baptiste Elizanburu) and “Emakume” by Eneko Labéguerie.

Sébastien Desgrand, their faithful traveling companion, is on the accordion, accompanied by guitarist Julien Labat. The CD was recorded in Saint-Étienne-de-Baigorry by Laurent Ascarain. It is available at Eztika (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port), at the Menta bookstore (Ossès), at the Garatea grocery store (Les Aldudes), at the Spar store (Saint-ANDtienne-de-Baigorry) and at Elkar in Bayonne.