From Panpale to Patxi Hiriart...
In the history of improvisation in the province of Labourd reference is
often made to the villages of Hasparren, Sare, St-Pée-Sur-Nivelle and
Urrugne, as well as Cambo, Espelette and Louhossoa.
Jean-Pierre Larralde, known as "Panpale", was a blacksmith in Louhossoa.
He was an tireless and creative improviser, and his great merit is that he
managed to revive a tradition which had begun to disappear.
Martin Larralde alias "Bordaxuri", author of the famous song
"Galerianoaren kantua" ("The song of the gallery slave") which dates back to
1815, was from Hasparren. His uncle, Bernard Larralde (1771-1853), and
Bernard’s son, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Larralde, (1804-1870) were also
improvisers.
In the 19th century improvisation was very important in Hasparren and the
surrounding area, both public improvisation and verses transcribed or
printed on loose sheets. Moreover, Hasparren had several male and female
improvisers.
The collective memory remembers the name of Iribarnegaray, alias
"Xetre". He was an average improviser, but he often "worked" with
Otxalde from Bidarray, who was always excellent. There were also
Durruty-Xuberri, Katxo, Joanes Urruna-Daguerre, Gaxte Leon, Amespil-Patrun,
Larramendy- Ebasun, Iriart-Iturrilo, Munonborda; all of them, after
indulging in a couple of glasses and in front of a crowd worked up to just
the right point, improvised "zirto" rather than "bertsu", drawing
inspiration from the everyday tragedy of human existence, without however
rising to sublime heights ...
Mattin
Another inhabitant of Hasparren,
José Mendiague , was forced to emigrate to Montevideo to make a
living. His verses are remarkably written and several of his songs are still
very popular today.
Two female improvisers also made name for themselves! Marie Argain from
Cambo and Ana Etchegaray from Hasparren. Marie Argain was unable to either
read or write. However, with the help of a neighbour who copied her verses,
she took part in several competitions. In Espelette she won the first prize.
The subject was: "Husband and wife in everyday life". Both women were
constantly asked to perform at weddings, christenings and local fêtes.
In Urrugne, there were Joliment de Haraneder and Tipy-Elissalde, who
wrote "Kriolinak" and "Dama gazte xarmant bat".
Sare was home to Vergez, who won several prizes, and above all the
Elissanburus,
Jean-Baptiste Elissanburu and Léon, without forgetting the
composer of the most popular song throughout the ages: "Ikusten duzu
goizean", by Jean-Baptiste Elissanburu who however rarely improvised in
public.
But, according to Jean Ithurriague who knew him personally: "the master
of Labourdin improvisers was, without question,
Matxin Irabola from St-Pée-Sur-Nivelle. He was illiterate, but was
none the less an extraordinary poet. (...) Matxin, was a very well-known
improviser, not only in the French Basque Country, but also in the Spanish
Basque Country where he was asked to attend every time an important festival
was organised there: he "played" in the company of Panpale Larralde in the
San
Sebastian competition in 1935. (...). He obtained second prize, behind
"Basarri".
Another famous bertsulari, who died in 1981,
Mattin Trecu was born and grew up in Ahetze. He was a small man
with a jovial, mischievous face and his very sharp eye flashed with anger
whenever "the adversary" tried to get the better of him. His witty eloquence
was inexhaustible and with the great
Xalbador they formed a perfect "couple".
Sustrai Colina (photo. S.Dabadie)
"Xanpun" (Manuel
Sein), from St-Pée-Sur-Nivelle,
Dominique Ezponda (from Lower-Navarre but living in Ahetze), and
Fermin Mihura from Ascain were for a long time the only
representatives of the Labourd province between 1980 and 1990.
Thanks to the teaching of improvisation in several schools, namely the
ikastolas, a new generation of young bertsularis of repute has appeared such
as
Amets Arzallus,
Sustrai Colina,
Miren Artetxe,
Patxi Iriart...
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Xalbador
Amets Arzallus
Sustrai Colina
Miren Artetxe
Patxi Iriart
