FERMIN MUGURUZA

DOSSIER March 2003
by elMago

What were on your television then?
The TV show, “Pop Stars”?
Or how they bombed my country?

Fermin Muguruza is doubtlessly one of the most influential and charismatic artists in the Basque musical world. He grew up at a time of key social and political changes for Euskadi and in the past twenty years he has played in almost every corner of the world, from the US to Japan, as well as Latin America, Europe, China...

Born in Irun, an industrial port in the Basque country, Fermin learned the basics of music and started playing the accordeon at the age of 6, but only after attending a concert of The Clash in Donosti in 1980 did his future become clear to him: he would express himself through music. A few years later, with his brother Iñigo and Treku Armendariz, he will found one of the most revolutionary groups of the Basque musical scene: Kortatu. Presenting an explosive mixture of ska, punk and reggae, the band - commited as it is with political and social issues ("Wake up! / Shoot a gringo / in your house" and "you damned middle class twit /you're never gonna understand anything" are part of their hits: "Nicaragua Sandinista" y "Zu Atrapatu Arte") sings in Spanish and in a somewhat broken euskara ("mastering this language was one of the most significant things I've done in my life", as Fermin himself puts it ,in an interview with Bernardo Atxaga). In 1988, once again a musical event makes an important mark in Fermin's career: the Public Enemy" concert in Paris leads to the end of Kortatu and to the beginning Negu Gorriak, with strong influences from rap. At the same time Fermin begins a new venture, by creating Esan Osenki (now: "Metak") label which will release his records and help a myriad of emerging bands in ten years to come. After 5 records and a legendary live performance recorded in Bilbao, on the 31st of October, 1996, Fermin announces in Egin the break up of the group...another cycle had come to an end, for the band it was time to say good-by with their last work : "Salam, Agur."

Fermin claims Basque culture loud and clearly as his own: he wants it open, sensitive and ready to take in influences from travels and meetings, proposing a third way between violence and deafness: permanent political rebellion. This rebellion is grounded in sensitivity to social issues, taking into account the harsh reality of a divided country. Fermin is restless and incapable of repetition, he needs to explore new paths in order to satisfy the urges of his creativity. This is what prompts him to join DUT in 1997 and to release with them "Ireki Ateak".

His solo career begins with a series of collaborative works with Garaje H in Havana. ("In front of the embassy of the US there is an outdoor which reads: Imperialist Lords, we are not afraid of you"), in Caracas with Desorden Publico, in Monteuil with Tom Darnal from P18 , in Buenos Aires with Todos tus Muertos (a band with which he always had strong ties) and in Los Angeles where he records "Harria" with the Mexican group Tijuana No ("Sí, intenté levantar la piedra / que representa mi pueblo"). Recorded in 10 different places in 3 continents, "Brigadistak Sound System" is released in 1999, incorporating reggae influences in Fermin's own style.
A year later "FM 99.00 Dub Manifest" is released : "a brilliant festive journey, a young man who shouts in order not to feel the cold", as Fernando León de Aranoa - cinema director and Fermin's friend - defines it. The album has a dub-reggae-ska base with touches of rap and electronic music, as well as a wide range of contributions, including the band Zebda ("when they sing, it seems that the album explodes. However, people tell me it sounds joyful", says Fermin).

Fermin attaches great importance to communication with his public, for instance, the progress of his latest work could be followed through the messages (called "communiqués") posted by the artist to his webpage. The album "In-komunikazioa" includes funk and jazz elements. It is a less festive, more intimate and reflexive album, than the preceding ones, but also very good. Fermin records without the band that had been with him for the past few years and with the contribution of his friends "Papuchi", Andrés and Eva from Desechos (ex HCD) and Begoña Bang Matu , among others.
The lyrics of his latest work show disillusion with some of his previous political commitments. The anger and the rebellious spirit present in Kortatu or Negu seem to have been replaced by melancholic feelings of powerlessness ("Fiesta, it was a great day for a fiesta / I saw happy faces there / Despite that, I felt sadness, nothing but darkness" are the first words of the title-song. Another example is "In the past it was the exploiters and the exploited / Now, however, it isn’t the class struggle / We are all become travellers now" from the ironical: "Hiri Debekatura Bidai Xartela").

After two concerts in November, 2002, motivated by the need to respond to specific issues relevant to the Basque Country, Fermin got together with a lifelong friend, Manu Chao: with him and Radio Bemba, he went on the "Jai-Alai Katumbi Express" tour in February 2003 , igniting several small concert rooms around Spain. Fermin had the opportunity to show not only his latest hits, but also hymns like Kortatu's "Sarri Sarri" (a version of Toots And The Maytals written to celebrate the escape of two 2 prisoners linked to ETA from jail) and Negu Gorriak's "Gora Herria", as well as unforgettable duos with El Chapulín ("Maputxe", "King Kong Five" , "Malavida",...)
Where is Fermin going next and what surprises does he have in store for us? It is difficult to tell. Maybe a Latin American tour, maybe a return to punk, maybe electronic music...Whatever it turns out to be, it is not his style to disappoint his fans... While we wait, we can enjoy his varied work and his surprise visits to several places of the globe.

N.B. It is an indisputable fact that Fermin's influence on the Basque youth has been very significant and that his work is a very important social and cultural reference for the Basque country as a whole. Among us from Radiochango, there has been some discussion about including Fermin in our webpage. This was due to some statements Fermin had made with which we did not entirely agree. We have always chosen to publish the profile of those artists with whom we shared social views. In this case it has been impossible for us to reach a common position with respect to the so called Basque conflict, an important issue, which Fermin certainly knows very well - and about the need to condemn all forms of violence, regardless of their source, be it the State or ETA.
Maybe it sounds somewhat unusual for us to share our doubts in this manner, but we would like to explain why we have taken so long to incorporate to our webpage a musician whom we esteem so highly, as an artist as well as a human being. The debate will continue in Fermin's forum.

Eskerrik asko eta zorion Fermin!

Records [up]
  Amodio eta gorrotzko kantak / Canciones de amor y odio (1984-1998)
   1998 Esan Ozenki - Compilation
 

Main contributions [up]
  Todos tus Muertos: Dale Aborigen
   1992 Gora Herriak - Album
 

News [up]
  02.11.2011: La Bundu Band presenta Cat Samurai (Català)
  02.11.2011: La Bundu Band presenta Cat Samurai (Castellano)
  14.10.2011: Recopilatorio Lucha Amada - Musica Rebelde (Castellano)
  14.10.2011: Compilation Lucha Amada
  05.09.2011: Newsletter Kasba Music, Nº 12 (Castellano)
  05.09.2011: Newsletter Kasba Music, Nº 12 (Català)
  18.12.2009: Calendario RadioChango 2010 & RadioChango Añejo Reserva 7 Años (Castellano)
  31.05.2009: Fermin Muguruza en Berlin (Castellano)
  29.04.2009: La Conexión, nuevo doble álbum de Rude & Barriobeaterz (Castellano)
  29.04.2009: CHECKPOINT ROCK - Canciones desde Palestina (Castellano)
  03.04.2009: Estreno de la pelicula "Checkpoint Rock" (Castellano)
  14.10.2008: MUGURUZA GRABA EL SEGUNDO VIDEOCLIP DE SU NUEVO DISCO (Castellano)
  08.09.2008: ASTHMATIC LION SOUND SYSTEMA, nuevo disco de FERMIN MUGURUZA (Castellano)
  21.06.2008: Disco Homenaje a Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (Castellano)
  18.06.2008: Artistas socios de la SGAE se solidarizan con CNT (Castellano)
  15.04.2008: MIRANT AL CEL: B.S.O. (Castellano)
  04.12.2007: Fermin Muguruza - "Afro-Basque Fire Brigade Tour 2007" (Castellano)
  03.08.2007: RadioChango à ESPERANZAH! (Français)
  03.08.2007: RadioChango en ESPERANZAH! (Castellano)
  20.06.2007: Queda una semana para el SENGLAR ROCK LLEIDA 2007 (Castellano)
  19.06.2007: 10 años de HACE COLOR (Castellano)
  18.06.2007: Festival Cruïlla de Cultures 2007 (Castellano)
  04.06.2007: EL LEÓN ASMATICO A.K.A FERMIN MUGURUZA CONTRA EL G8 (Castellano)
  03.06.2007: Festival ESPERANZAH! 2007, Floreffe (Français)
  01.06.2007: Exposició fotogràfica en el Ateneu Popular 9Barris (Català)
  01.06.2007: Exposición fotográfica en el Ateneu Popular 9Barris (Castellano)
  20.05.2007: Festival Cruïlla de Cultures 2007 (Català)
  27.04.2007: EUSKAL HERRIRA ZUZENEAN 2007 (Français)
  20.03.2007: VEUS PER LA PAU AL PAÍS BASC (Català)
  27.10.2006: 18/98+: Macroconcierto en el BEC (Castellano)
  13.09.2006: BASS-que culture (Castellano)
  10.05.2006: TALKA obre la seva botiga (Català)
  10.05.2006: La tienda de Talka Records abre sus puertas (Castellano)
  09.05.2006: FERMIN MUGURUZA EN MESTIZOO!! (Castellano)
  28.04.2006: FERMÍN MUGURUZA: “EUSKAL HERRIA JAMAIKA CLASH” (Català)
  16.04.2006: Nuevo disco de FERMIN MUGURUZA: "EUSKAL HERRIA JAMAIKA CLASH", en la calle el 4 de Mayo (Castellano)
  29.03.2006: Barcelona Raval Session II - con camiseta de regalo!!! (Castellano)
  01.03.2006: "Euskal Herria Jamaika Clash" nuevo disco de Fermin Muguruza (Castellano)
  01.02.2006: FERMIN MUGURUZA des de Kingston (Català)
  01.02.2006: FERMIN MUGURUZA desde Kingston (Castellano)
  31.01.2006: BARCELONA RAVAL SESSIONS VOL. 2 (Castellano)
  26.01.2006: Metak 2001-2006: Gracias, hasta otra. (Castellano)
  10.01.2006: Nueva web recomendada: NEGUGORRIAK.NET (Castellano)
  10.01.2006: Fermin Muguruza con Mouss et Hakim en "Volcan" (Castellano)
  25.10.2005: Nuevo disco en directo de OBRINT PAS (Castellano)
  10.06.2005: CRONICAS DE ROCK MESTIZO - Música sin papeles (Castellano)
  20.05.2005: RECONOCIMIENTO A FERMIN MUGURUZA EN NEW YORK (Castellano)
  17.05.2005: Xomorroak YA A LA VENTA EN LAS TIENDAS (Castellano)
  17.05.2005: Babylon Street se despide hasta el Invierno! (Castellano)
  24.04.2005: KONTRAKALEA ACCIÓ :: BCN - 05/05/05 :: (Castellano)
  11.04.2005: RECOPILATORIO RADIOCHANGO AÑEJO RESERVA (Castellano)
  01.04.2005: FIESTAS METAK y KONTRAKALEA (Castellano)
  22.03.2005: CD recopilatorio en apoyo a La Haine (Castellano)
  29.10.2004: Sortie de 99-04 Kontrakalea (Français)
  08.09.2004: CD "Mundo Mestizo" (Castellano)
  14.06.2004: FERMIN MUGURUZA KONTRABANDA ACTUARÁ EN ESTADOS UNIDOS (Castellano)
  19.01.2004: Fermin en Barcelona: entradas agotadas, nuevo concierto! (Castellano)
  16.01.2004: Manifiesto por la libertad de expresion (Castellano)

Forum [up]
  The Forum for Fermin Muguruza

Interviews [up]
  Entrevista con FERMIN MUGURUZA - 05/2006 (Castellano)
  La música es mi vida, no puedo parar - 02/2004 (Castellano)
  La musique c'est ma vie, je ne peux pas m'arrêter. - 02/2004 (Français)
  Entrevista con Fermin Muguruza - 05/2003 (Castellano)
  Interview avec Fermin Muguruza - 05/2003 (Français)
  AUDIO: Entrevista de l@s Changuit@s - Mariatchi - 05/2006 (Castellano)

Videos [up]
  12.2009: RadioChango TV, Dic.09 1/6 : Intro + Novedades Musicales
  12.2009: RadioChango TV, Dic.09 : Programa completo
  11.2009: RadioChango TV, Nov.09 2/7 : Novedades Musicales
  11.2009: RadioChango TV, Nov.09 : Programa completo
  05.2006: Vídeo entrevista con FERMIN MUGURUZA

Photos [up]
  Festival Internacional de Cine del Sahara (FiSahara) 2009
  TALKATTACK!!. "IRUN, LION, ZION IN DUB VOL.1" DISKAREN AURKEZPENAREN JAIA
  Esperanzah! 2007
  Cruïlla de Cultures 2007 - "No Music No Life", 10 años de Hace Color
  AFRO-BASQUE FIRE BRIGADE - La Mirona 28.4.07
  VIÑAROCK 2007
  AFRO-BASQUE FIRE BRIGADE - Barcelona 26.4.07
  Veus per la pau al País Basc, acte a Barcelona 20/3/2007
  Euskal Herria Jamaika Clash
  Fermin Muguruza - entrevista con RadioChango
  Basque Fire Department, dic. 2005

Contact & Management [up]
Web : www.muguruzafm.com
Email : fm@kontrakalea.com

Management: AKEITA
Tel: (+34) 670 88 06 40
Fax: (+34) 948 513399
Mail: akeita@wanadoo.es
Web: www.akeita.com

Artists related [up]
  Negu Gorriak
  Kortatu
  Fermin Muguruza eta Dut
  The Solanos
  Sorkun
  Esne Beltza

Links [up]
  www.muguruzafm.com
  www.myspace.com/ferminmuguruza
  www.musikametak.com
  www.esan-ozenki.com
  www.gridaloforte.com
  www.audiokat.com/artistas.asp?aid=00000354

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