The Basque Music initiative at Seville´s Monkey Week festival
Euskara. Kultura. Mundura.
Basque Music, a platform designed to raise the international profile of Basque music, will be returning this year to the Monkey Week Festival held in Seville from 12 to 14 October. In its ninth year – second in the Andalusian capital – the bands Willis Drummond, Tooth, and Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado will take the stage under the auspices of Basque Music.
Basque Music, a platform designed to raise the international profile of Basque music, will be returning this year to the Monkey Week Festival held in Seville from 12 to 14 October. In its ninth year – second in the Andalusian capital – the bands Willis Drummond, Tooth, and Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado will take the stage under the auspices of Basque Music.
The initiative, promoted by Musika Bulegoa, Etxepare Basque Institute and Euskadiko Soinuak (the Basque Government’s Department of Culture and Language Policy), has led to agreements signed with various fairs and festivals whereby music from Euskal Herria is included in their programmes. The event in Seville is one of these partnerships.
Monkey Week is considered a premier showcase for independent music. Together with concerts and professional gatherings, a space called Monkey Market is set aside for connecting independent record labels, distributors, manufacturers, and agents. Here, Basque Music will have a stand to provide information about the different sectors related to the music of Euskal Herria.
Showcase
Concerts by Basque musicians will take place on Friday, 13 October, at Espacio Santa Clara (the Arnette stage). Willis Drummond from Iparralde will open the showcase at 6:15pm, followed by the Gernika-based band, Tooth, at 7:30, and the duo from Gipuzkoa, Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado, at 8:45. The three bands will also perform on other stages during Monkey Week. Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado will play on Thursday 12th at Alameda de Hércules-The Happy Place X (10:15pm); on Saturday 14th Willis Drummond will perform at Sala Holiday (9:00pm); also on the 14th, Tooth will give a concert at 11:15pm at Fun Club-Escenario AIE.
In 2016 Willis Drummond released their fifth studio album, Tabula Rasa. The band from Iparralde has never been one to look back nostalgically on the ‘golden years’. Naturally, they’ve been influenced by 90s indie rock – Seattle, Washington, Boston, Irun – 80s post-punk, and even bands like Dead Boys from the early years of punk rock. But after it’s taken in and digested, their music is more like the more recent Australian sounds of groups like New Christs, Beasts of Bourbon and The Drones. In fact, Drummond turned to the producer of Havilah, the legendary album by The Drones, to produce Tabula Rasa: Burke Reid (The Drones, Courtney Barnett...).
Tooth was created in 2009 and released their first demo that same year, taking second place in the Busturialde Rock competition. Their first EP was recorded in 2012 at KORTUREC studios in Arratzu under the direction of Jon “Urri” Urriolabeitia, making them semi-finalists at the Villa de Bilbao competition. In 2015 Tooth cut their first LP titled Bi, recorded at Muxikon Studios in Mungia under the direction of Iñigo “Pitu” Etxebarrieta. The band plays a mix of post-hardcore and noise rock. The members say their influences include more local bands like Sonidos del Bidasoa, Dut, Izaera, and Lisabö, as well as Unsane and Helmet, both from New York City.
The latest work by Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado, EATE,was self-published by the duo under the label Pozoi Records. The soul of the band lies in the guitar. In EATE the Niña and Chico continue to search for new sounds. There is also a considerable step forward in the vocals. They play with distortion and different interpretations – and the payoff is brilliant. The songs are more solid than in their earlier albums, and much like their earlier work, a good part of EATE is dedicated to instrumental tracks.
Willis Drummond, Tooth, and Niña Coyote eta Chico Tornado are not the only ambassadors of Basque music in Seville. When the event kicks off on Thursday, we’ll also be hearing from Iseo & Dodosound, Rrucculla, Albert Cavalier, Vulk, Luma, Shinova and Cabezafuego.