page_title: Basque Radical Rock
section_title: From Spanish to Basque
hierarchical_section_title: Basque Radical Rock / History / From Spanish to Basque
caption_attribution_description: Kortatu en el Gaztetxe de Egia.
context_page_description: Basque Radical Rock, was a musical genre born in the Southern Basque Country at the beginning of the 1980s and, although there was no specific event, it is considered to have ended in the last years of the decade. Basque Radical Rock bands were particularly influenced by punk bands like Sex Pistols and The Clash. It was considered an underground movement, born in opposition to the values proclaimed by Francisco Franco and spread by thousands of people who felt with the Spanish transition to democracy their Basque national and social aspirations were betrayed.
  The name Basque Radical Rock was first used in 1983 in an article published in the newspaper Egin signed by José Mari Blanco, after a music festival against Spain remaining in NATO. The concept of BRR was very controversial from the beginning. Despite sharing a progressive mindset, anti-system stance and often a Basque nationalist view, some bands felt manipulated and denied the label as they considered it commercial. The band Eskorbuto, for one, claimed that "rock does not have any fatherland".
context_section_description: Even though Spanish was the main language of the movement, some groups chose to sing in Basque, notably Hertzainak and Zarama. Despite the fact they came from very different areas, they both made the same decision, i.e. punk in the Basque Country had to be sung in Basque. The singers of both bands (Xabier Montoia of Hertzainak (who later would create M-ak) and Roberto Moso of Zarama) decided to learn the language.
  Some groups switched from Spanish to Basque, notably Kortatu, who released their first album only in Spanish. They gradually added more songs in Basque, with their last album Kolpez kolpe featuring a Basque language only track list. Fermin Muguruza, the singer of the band, learnt the language and would later create other bands like Negu Gorriak with virtually all lyrics in Basque. Danba and BAP!! evolved along similar lines.
caption: Iñigo Muguruza, member of Kortatu playing in Egia
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