Biography

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Azken Indioak, to take a step to take a leap

“It’s time to make risky decisions, it’s time to leave our comfort zone” thought the members of Gatibu when facing the challenge of their new album Azken Indioak. The new album is an exercise in self-awareness, a reflection of 360 degrees towards the past, the present and the future. He says we are the last Indians. Seriously? Gatibu has composed the songs of the new album with the pride of belonging to a link of music, rock, culture in basque and from the awareness that to change the established is necessary to take the initiative, it is essential to act, dance, sing, move, jump. What in the previous record was a step forward, Azken Indioak has been a jump. A jump as to cross the atlantic and dare to record seven new songs in an unknown studio as the Sonicranch of Texas (USA) and a producer with which until now had never worked, Santi García (Delorean, La M.O.D.A., Standstill, Nueva Vulcano, The New Raemon, The Unfinished Sympathy…). The risk has been worth it. Gatibu has returned safe and sound, full of vitality, full of light, full of rhythm, full of energy.

Gatibu is a Basque rock group founded in 2000 in Gernika-Lumo, a four-piece which has brought out seven studio disks and a live disk to date. From their first songs it was very clear the group had been born to be part of one of the most widely-spread types of music in Basque culture. After more than fifteen years their work sounds more natural, sweeter and opener; their work in the studio has improved remarkably and they still steer clear of avant-garde tendencies.

Their musical style is based on colourfully sung Western Basque, full of melody and life. Wide-ranging music free of any artistic complexes; the force of rock splashed with pop tones plus passion and the will to live; songs about love and friendship, emotions and changes in mood in daily life. But although the trunk of their music is rock and pop, they also take care of the branches and leaves which spring out from it: folk, country and disco/funky dance rhythms are also part of their repertoire in a completely natural way. They cultivate styles which open windows to music, wanting the band to be open to new influences at all times.

During the last twenty years the group has given hundreds of concerts all over the Basque Country, filling concert halls and town squares to bursting point. In 2006 they played at the first Bilbao BBK Live, opening for groups such as Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, The Cult, The Cardigans and Lori Meyers. In 2014, for instance, at festival EHZ, they had the chance to share the stage with the famous groups Ska-P and Pendulum. They have played in a few Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Orense and Gijon and in other foreign cities such as London, Belfast, Cork and Londonderry.

Virtuous musicians who have collaborated with Gatibu include «Robe» Iniesta (Extremoduro), «Fito» Cabrales (Platero y Tú, Fito & Fitipaldis), Iñaki «Uoho» Antón (Platero y Tú, Extremoduro), Luis Camino (21 Japonesas, Mecano, Abya Yala) and José Alberto Batiz (Akelarre, Tapia eta Leturia Band, Fito & Fitipaldis), all very well-known in the Basque Country and in Spain because of their contributions to music.

EITB Euskal Irrati Telebista (Basque Radio Television) has given the group three prizes for its good work: In 2003 they won the Gaztea Prize for the best song and in 2009 the Gaztea Prize for best song and disc: a double prize. Equally noteworthy was the special mention their disc Zazpi Kantoietan was given by This Is Rock specialist magazine in its number 105.

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[gdlr_tab title=”This Is Rock” position=”” author_image=”https://gatibu.eus/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/quote.png” ]

Undeniable quality. This creates addiction and is worth listening to.[/gdlr_tab]

[gdlr_tab title=”Gara” position=”” author_image=”https://gatibu.eus/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/quote.png” ]

Most people like them and they’re right to: their songs are like pills full of inspiration which, after moving them around your mouth three or four times, take effect immediately. Hats off to anyone able to write songs like Gatibu’s.[/gdlr_tab]

[gdlr_tab title=”Zona Ruido” position=”” author_image=”https://gatibu.eus/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/quote.png” ]

Music which takes you up a level, perhaps it’s not so powerful, but every bit of it’s full of quality.[/gdlr_tab]

[gdlr_tab title=”Info Rock” position=”” author_image=”http://themes.goodlayers2.com/flawless/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/testimonial-5.jpg” ]

An indispensable group on the Basque rock scene which deserves all the success it gets.[/gdlr_tab]

[gdlr_tab title=”Diario de Noticias de Navarra” position=”” author_image=”https://gatibu.eus/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/quote.png” ]

A perfect display of recreating Basque rock with no complexes and standing up to the establishment with force in the 21st century.[/gdlr_tab]

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This group keeps on going up, but its summit is still a long way off. With an eye to the future, Gatibu’s challenge is to take its music outside the Basque Country too, knocking over all the prejudices about singing minority languages being an obstacle for music to be widely listened to and speaking up for the universality of music.

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[gdlr_heading tag=”h3″ size=”34px” font_weight=”normal”]Video: “Salto!”[/gdlr_heading]

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