BEST BASQUE BAND TOURING IRELAND

The Irish Basque Committees present Berri Txarrak Irish Tour’06.


Considered by music press as one of the best alternative rock bands, with amazing vocal melodies next to emo, metal strokes and hardcore attitude, Berri Txarrak (www.berritxarrak.net) is a band going through a non-stop evolution. Their lyrics show their political commitment on the Basque struggle and social issues not just in the Basque Country but as well around the world. All of it with a poetic unique style. It’s not a coincidence that the singer won recently the most important Poetry Award in Basque language in his province.

” The music is a mixture of alternative rock, punk, hardcore, metal and some amazing melodies. Band-wise, I think a mixture of Burning Heads and Helmet would be a good description. It has easier melodic parts mixed with full-throttle metal guitars, and very fast drumming and a distinctive European-only edge.” www.Punknews.org

Berri Txarrak won three “Gazte sariak” 2006 awards when the most important Basque radio station Euskadi Gaztea made a review of the best Basque music bands of the year.

Berri Txarrak was nominated in three categories and they won all of them;

“Best band of the year”, “Best album of the year” for “Musika. Jaio.Hil” and “Best live show of the year”.

They won the same three categories in the Spanish magazine Rockzone (www.zona-zero.net) 2005 awards and in Rock Estatal’s 2005’s review the Spanish rock specialized press….. (http://www.rockestatal.com/reportajes/premios_rock_estatal_2005_premios_de_la_critica.htm) …..awarded them as the best rock album but in these two cases now as the best rock band in the whole Spanish State.

Their fifth and last album at the moment, “Musika.Jaio.Hil”,was recorded last August and was produced by famous Ed Rose producer as well of Kurt Cobain, The Get Up Kids or Motion City Soundtrack in the USA.

You can listen to some of the last album’s tracks at: http://www.myspace.com/berritxarrak

Berri Txarrak have been playing in different countries around the world such as USA, Mexico, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Spain supporting bands like Deftones with great succes.

This summer they’re being touted to tour Europe as support band for the Chicago based hardcore rockers Rise Against.

Before this we are delighted to have Berri Txarrak playing in Ireland for the first time ever!


Wednesday 7th of June: Dublin
(Voodoo Lounge)

Thursday 8th of June: Derry
(Sandino’s Bar)

Friday 9th of June: Belfast
(Black Box) Support bands:
Decoy 47 / RSI / The Hypocrates

Saturday 10th of June: Galway
(Richardson’s)

Sunday 11th of June: Cork
(Fred Zeppelin)

All gigs supported by local bands. Doors open @8.30pm. Fee: 6€ / £5.

SPANISH AND FRENCH ATTACKS PUT THE PROCESS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION

The political situation in the Basque Country at the moment is really difficult as the Spanish and French states continue their attacks against the Left Abertzale (pro-independence movement) and the democratic process.

Last week, as a bid to push the process forward, Batasuna presented publicly their negotiations team (see in the picture above). Almost at the same time the Spanish Special Court charged eight members of Batasuna's leadership with terrorism because of a press conference held to analyze the new political situation after ETA's ceasefire.

The previous week Batasuna was already warning of the dangers surrounding the democratic process: lack of interest of the main parties to set a negotiations table, Spanish government's bid to present the process as a technical process between themselves and ETA and the continuous attacks against the Left Abertzale.

Batasuna made clear that is urgent to set the negotiations table among all Basque political parties where a transition to a democratic situation (acceptance of the Basque Country as a seven provinces nation and self-determination right) will be agreed. Batasuna see as a big contradiction keeping them as an illegal party in this historical opportunity for peace.

Just last week Segi, the pro-independence and revolutionary youth organization, called protests all around the country bringing thousands of young people to the streets for independence. Those protests met big repression which caused wounded and arrested people.

Yesterday the French police arrested three young people in the province of Lapurdi and it's been seen as a provocation and deliberated attack against the process.

As we were saying before today and tomorrow eight members of Batasuna's leadership will have to appear in the Spanish Special Court and could be sent to prison.

Askatasuna, the anti-repression movement has called protests against all the attacks for this Friday with the slogan: "No to the political repression. Democratic minimums now!"

BASQUE WEEK IN GALWAY

The Galway Basque committee is organising a Basque week and on saturday the 27th it'll take place the II.Basque Day which was a huge success last year. Everybody is more than wellcome. Ádh mór.
Seachtain na mBascach, Gaillimh 2006

Basque Week, Galway

22 – 27 Bealtaine / May


Day / Time Events Venue
Monday 7pm Video Presentation on Basque Culture and Politics Richardsons #1 Eyre Square
Tuesday 7pm Basque Language Lessons Richardsons #1 Eyre Square
Wednesday 7pm Talk by representative of the Basque left-nationalist movement about recent ETA peace initiative Richardsons #1 Eyre Square
Thursday 7pm Basque Traditional Dance Lessons Richardsons #1 Eyre Square
Friday 9pm Concert, featuring the legendary Basque singer,JONU

Saturday is the 2nd Annual Galway Basque Day

Events run throughout the day

· 12 noon: Traditional Basque Games, including a Basque v. Ireland tug-of war, will be on display in the newly refurbished Eyre Square, along with Basque music, food, drink, fun and competitions.

· 3pm: Pub crawl! All are welcome to join with Basque and Irish friends on a tour of Galway’s many many pubs. Drink and eat more Basque specialities with some of Euskal Herria’s finest musicians, and enjoy the fusion Irish and Euskerri music.

· 8pm: Club Áras na nGael, More food and drink, ceol agus craic, and prizes and fun to be had in one of the city’s most intimate locations.

ETA:"THE PROCESS' KEY IS THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY."

In an exclusive eight pages interview with GARA newspaper (www.gara.net) ETA says that the time to put in practice all the commitments in the democratic process is arrived.

They highlight the importance of this democratic process to solve the conflict and achieve a democratic frame for the Basque Country where all the different political projects could be implemented including the pro-independence one. They place as crucial the democratic debate within the Basque Country and among all political parties, trade unions and social organizations. It's upon the Basque citizens of all the seven provinces to discuss and agree how to make this transition period from imposition to democracy.

According to ETA the Spanish and French states would have to respect whatever decision the Basques took. ETA warn that if the attacks against the Basque Country continue it will be impossible to complete this process.

BIG SUCCESS IN LAST EVENTS

Last Good Friday the Belfast Basque Committee organized the III. Irish Basque Night with a huge success. 200 people packed the Conway Mill Hall creating a fantastic atmosphere. Everybody enjoyed with Caoimhin Breag's acoustic covers and DJ's Rasta Revolution and Caveman. It was really difficult for the organizers to manage the party as dozens of people wanted to get into the party and the doors had to be closed because no more room was available and as the party was so great nobody wanted to leave. Even the DJ's didn't want to leave the stage!!

The highest and most emotional moment in the night was when Karmen Irizar, former Basque Political Prisoner and released just a couple of weeks ago, came up to the stage where a member of the Belfast Basque Committee presented her the Easter Lily and everybody started cheering and applauding.

Congratulations to everybody.


The last week of April the Basque Folk band Korrontzi toured Ireland invited by the Irish Basque Committees. Although no many people gathered in Cork, Dublin and Belfast everybody was amazed by the quality of the band and there are plans to bring them back next year. In Armagh they played for 300 people in a Hunger Strikers conmemoration function.

From the 22nd of May to the 27th the Galway Basque Committee is organising the first Basque week with lots of diferent events like talks, DVD screenings, folk gigs, etc. Saturday will be the big day when they'll organize the II. Basque Day with activities all along the day. Nobody should miss this great week. Last year's Basque Day was a huge success. for more details contact: basquegalway@hotmail.com.

And the events to highlight the Basque struggle in Ireland don't finish yet. The Irish Basque Committees are bringing to Ireland the best Basque rock band of the moment, Berri Txarrak from the 7th to the 11th of June and they'll be playing in Dublin, Derry, Belfast, Galway and Cork in this order. More information in next days.