Itoiz
Encyclopedia
Itoiz was the name of a Basque music
band from the coastal towns of Mutriku
and Ondarroa
, started off in 1978 and disbanded in 1988. Born in turmoil times for the Basque Country
(Spain), Itoiz stems from a dancing music band (i.e. playing other groups' songs) called Indar Trabes (1974), which performed mainly in evening festivities of towns. Throughout their existence spanning ten years, Itoiz dealt with several styles ranging from folk
to progressive rock
to pop
.
. This first album features intimate and whimsical lyrics, difficult to understand, wrapped up in progressive rock music.
During the next three years they went through various reshuffles in the line-up, and the music grew more complex and elaborated, but the symphonic sound remained till their 3rd album Alkolea. In 1983 they launched the successful album Musikaz blai, which gave up previous progressive and jazz
y music patterns, switching to pop-rock along the lines of prevailing music trends. Juan Carlos Perez explains, "We used a progressive rock rhythmic pattern to fashion songs, while [guitar player] Jean Marie Ecay brought in a new one, the one we called "Fleetwood Mac
rhythm", a binary rhythmic pattern we didn't know before. He brought along the song concept too, of a three minute duration and a chorus. Up to that point, we made small conceptual pieces, songs with a long development." (translation)
Album Espaloian was released next in 1985 to critical and public acclaim, featuring such hits as "Clash eta Pistols", "Espaloian" and "Hegal egiten". Unexpectedly for frontman Perez, this more natural album earned them numerous concerts and record turnouts. Despite the band's high in popularity, they came in for bitter criticism and had to put up with hostile attitudes on the part of other bands on the rise in the Basque Country
in the middle 80s as well as their public. These bands stood for the punk and rebellious music movement gaining momentum at the time (Kortatu
, Hertzainak, etc.) with which they often had to share the bill. "For the bands of the RRV [Basque rebellious music], we represented the establishment's demands, commercialism, we were politically correct. The situation was really uneasy. We had to face up to the people's attacks." (translation)
Another powerful LP followed, Ambulance (1987), but by that year Jean Marie Ecay had quitt the group (1984) onto another bigger Spanish band, J.C. Perez is all alone in charge of the whole artistic production and atmosphere within the band is not good, Perez is tired, so he finally decides to break up elegantly the band with a last live album.
Basque music
The strict classification of Basque music remains a controversial issue, complicated in part by the growing diversification of such music, but by and large it is made in the Basque Country, it reflects traits related to that society/tradition and it is devised by people from the Basque...
band from the coastal towns of Mutriku
Mutriku
Mutriku is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country in northern Spain. It is the site of the world's first multi-turbine breakwater wave power station, inaugurated July 8, 2011....
and Ondarroa
Ondarroa
Ondarroa is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-Main sights:*Church of St. Mary, in late Gothic style *Likona Tower, a typical Basque tower-house....
, started off in 1978 and disbanded in 1988. Born in turmoil times for the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
(Spain), Itoiz stems from a dancing music band (i.e. playing other groups' songs) called Indar Trabes (1974), which performed mainly in evening festivities of towns. Throughout their existence spanning ten years, Itoiz dealt with several styles ranging from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
to progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
to pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
History
In 1978, the members of the band Indar Trabes prepare to release an LP for Durango's Basque book and music fair, including songs composed largely by frontman and central figure Juan Carlos Perez. They decide to rebrand the group on the grounds that the previous name was associated to evening dancing performances. They chose Itoiz, because it is brief, not because of the famous valley of the same name in NavarreNavarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
. This first album features intimate and whimsical lyrics, difficult to understand, wrapped up in progressive rock music.
During the next three years they went through various reshuffles in the line-up, and the music grew more complex and elaborated, but the symphonic sound remained till their 3rd album Alkolea. In 1983 they launched the successful album Musikaz blai, which gave up previous progressive and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
y music patterns, switching to pop-rock along the lines of prevailing music trends. Juan Carlos Perez explains, "We used a progressive rock rhythmic pattern to fashion songs, while [guitar player] Jean Marie Ecay brought in a new one, the one we called "Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
rhythm", a binary rhythmic pattern we didn't know before. He brought along the song concept too, of a three minute duration and a chorus. Up to that point, we made small conceptual pieces, songs with a long development." (translation)
Album Espaloian was released next in 1985 to critical and public acclaim, featuring such hits as "Clash eta Pistols", "Espaloian" and "Hegal egiten". Unexpectedly for frontman Perez, this more natural album earned them numerous concerts and record turnouts. Despite the band's high in popularity, they came in for bitter criticism and had to put up with hostile attitudes on the part of other bands on the rise in the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
in the middle 80s as well as their public. These bands stood for the punk and rebellious music movement gaining momentum at the time (Kortatu
Kortatu
Kortatu was a ska punk band from the Basque Country formed in Irun in the summer of 1984.Kortatu was born in the context of the first democracy years in Spain since 1936. They had a big significance for left-wing basque nationalism as precursors of a new wave of music: Basque Radical Rock...
, Hertzainak, etc.) with which they often had to share the bill. "For the bands of the RRV [Basque rebellious music], we represented the establishment's demands, commercialism, we were politically correct. The situation was really uneasy. We had to face up to the people's attacks." (translation)
Another powerful LP followed, Ambulance (1987), but by that year Jean Marie Ecay had quitt the group (1984) onto another bigger Spanish band, J.C. Perez is all alone in charge of the whole artistic production and atmosphere within the band is not good, Perez is tired, so he finally decides to break up elegantly the band with a last live album.
Line-up
The original line-up inherited from the band Indar Trabes went through various changes, and parentheses took place too, like when the band was all but broken up prior to the release of Ezekiel, members joined the band and old members quit. Accordingly, the band's music expertise and exigence in performance improved gradually. Some members worth highlighting:- Juan Carlos Perez: Guitar and voice
- Foisis (Jose Garate): Bass guitar
- Jose A. Fernandez: Piano and keyboards (till 1985)
- Estanis Osinalde: Drums (till 1979)
- Joseba Erkiaga: Flute (till 1982)
- German Ors: Guitar (1981–1983)
- Jimmi Arrabit: Drums (as of 1982)
- Jean-Marie Ecay: Guitar (1983–1985)
- Xabi Pery: Guitar (1987–1988)
Discography
- Itoiz (1978): Contains some tracks that have struck a chord in Basque music, such as romantic "Lau Teilatu" (four roofs), elected by popular vote in the 2000s best Basque song ever; poignant "Hilzori I" and "Hilzori II", poetic "Astelehen urdin batean"; etc.
- Ezekiel (1980): A totally conceptual work developed around the axis of prophet EzekielEzekielEzekiel , "God will strengthen" , is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet...
; allegoric, almost religious, featuring a chilling children chorus line. - Alkolea (1982): The sound remains characteristic Itoiz sound. Song "Marilyn" is its catchiest attraction.
- Musikaz blai (1983): A full-fledged pop album with elaborate, landmark tracks like "As noites da Radio Lisboa" or "To Alice", alongside catchy "Marea gora".
- Espaloian (1985): Confirms Itoiz's know-how and craft with such abiding songs as "Hegal egiten", "Clash eta Pistols", etc.
- Ambulance (1987): Rockier sound, dirtier; "Ambulance" or "Non nagoen" should be highlighted.
- Eremuko dunen atzetik dabil... (1988). Final live album.
- Itoiz 1978-1988 (2000). A compilation comprising all the albums in Itoiz's history, as well as a booklet describing the band's history.