Monday, February 27, 2023
The last CD of the Kea Ahots group, ‘KE Orbelak’, is the work that brings the silver wedding anniversary of the choir to an end. It includes the work ‘Ke Orbelen Meza’ by the composer Xabier Sarasola and three choral works by David Azurza, and was recorded in collaboration with the pianist Josu Okiñena and the cellist Asier Polo, among others. ‘Discs are made when they are created, and in this case all the pieces were written. We have sung them in several concerts, but we thought they deserved to be included in a record”, says Enrique Azurza, director of the Kea Ahots group.
Together with Enrique Azurza, Xabier Sarasola and David Azurza were present at the album presentation, as well as pianist Josu Okiñena. According to the latter, it is very important to value the works of contemporary composers, which is why “it was a great honor for me to be able to participate in this work”.
Xabier Sarasola from Beasain wrote ‘Ke Orbelen meza’ five years ago, for the twentieth anniversary of the Kea Ahots group. The work consists of nine parts, and the musical connections between them have been made by Carlos Alcala from Tolosa. The version included on the CD was recorded in the hermitage of San Martín de Loinaz in Beasain on January 11 and 25, 2020. David Azurza’s three choral pieces, on the other hand, were recorded at Musiken in 2021, “during the pandemic, when it was necessary to sing with masks”, the musicians recalled, “with the difficulties that created”. The work ‘Laude delle creature’ was recorded with the participation of the sopranos Ana Otxoa and Miren Garikano and the baritone Jesús García Aréjula. The other two pieces are ‘Kotowaza’ and ‘Arma, Arma’, in the words of Bernat Etxepare, “It includes beautiful pieces in Latin and Basque, and all of this has given the album a beautiful originality and balance”, stated the director of the Kea Ahots group.
Reference musicians
‘Ke Orbelak’ has been published on the specialized Orpheus Classical label, “with the works of two composers who are renowned in today’s choral music”, remembers Enrique Azurka. In the case of Xabier Sarasola, he organizes choir conducting courses and workshops and has participated in the juries of various competitions. He has been the president of the jury of the Toulouse Choir Competition and his works have been mandatory in the tournament. In the case of David Azurza, he has done more than 150 compositions, choral arrangements and harmonizations for all kinds of choirs and has received several awards. His works are performed by numerous choirs around the world. As for the album cover, it is based on a work by the artist María Jesús Cueto who lives in Berastegi.
This new CD published by Kea chamber music will continue to complete the band’s discography. Among other things, he has collected the vocal works of Nivolas Bacri, as well as Javier Bello-Portu’s complete choral work or Zurezko Olerki, by Luis de Pablo (for the vocal group, wooden percussion instruments and txalaparta), which was presented in Bilbao in 2020 on the occasion of the author’s 90th birthday. In fact, the XXI. The group was created in 1997 as a tool to interpret the great works of the choral repertoire that were not so common in the 20th century, with a special sensitivity towards Basque composers. Since its creation, it has performed a lot of concert activity, as well as premiered many works, many of which have been written for the group.