Lazkao Txiki
Encyclopedia
Joxe Miguel Iztueta Cortajarena (September 15, 1926 - April 3, 1993), better known as "Lazkao Txiki" was a Basque
bertsolari
poet and musician.
Iztueta was born in Lazkao
, in the Goierri
region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community
in Northern Spain
. He had six brothers. He started going to school when he was 8. When he was 9, he watched bertsolari
s for the first time, from which he developed and early and lasting enthusiasm for Basque Bertsolaritza
music.
Early in his life Txiki worked as a bricklayer and farmer, and sold fodder for cows. His first public performance as a bertsolari took place in Legorreta
in 1936. He came first in a competition for young improvisational musicians in 1950. Twelve years later he entered the prestigious Txapelketak, reaching the final. He came second in the same event three years later and was a finalist again in 1967.
He continued to perform regularly until January 1993, when he suffered a heart attack following a public performance which included a tribute to Aita Santiago Onaindia and Alfonso Irigoyen. He died in San Sebastián
in April 1993 following three months in a coma.
A bertsolari competition named after Txiki, the Lazkao Txiki Bertsopaper Lehiaketa, was launched in 2007.
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
bertsolari
Bertsolari
A bertsolari is a singer of bertso, a musical verse in Basque tradition. The bertolaris are often found in pairs, in which a topic is sung extemporaneously in verses alternatively, but they can stage solo or group verse sessions too. It is usually sung to a slow tempo with long or short verses and...
poet and musician.
Iztueta was born in Lazkao
Lazkao
Lazkao is a town and municipality located in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community in Northern Spain.-Location:...
, in the Goierri
Goierri
Goierri is one of the eight regions in Gipuzkoa, formed by 18 municipalities, Beasain, Lazkao and Ordizia being the main towns.-External links:* ////....
region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
in Northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He had six brothers. He started going to school when he was 8. When he was 9, he watched bertsolari
Bertsolari
A bertsolari is a singer of bertso, a musical verse in Basque tradition. The bertolaris are often found in pairs, in which a topic is sung extemporaneously in verses alternatively, but they can stage solo or group verse sessions too. It is usually sung to a slow tempo with long or short verses and...
s for the first time, from which he developed and early and lasting enthusiasm for Basque Bertsolaritza
Bertsolaritza
Bertsolaritza or bertsolarism is the art of singing extemporary composed songs in Basque according to various melodies and rhyming patterns...
music.
Early in his life Txiki worked as a bricklayer and farmer, and sold fodder for cows. His first public performance as a bertsolari took place in Legorreta
Legorreta
Legorreta is a town and municipality located in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* *...
in 1936. He came first in a competition for young improvisational musicians in 1950. Twelve years later he entered the prestigious Txapelketak, reaching the final. He came second in the same event three years later and was a finalist again in 1967.
He continued to perform regularly until January 1993, when he suffered a heart attack following a public performance which included a tribute to Aita Santiago Onaindia and Alfonso Irigoyen. He died in San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
in April 1993 following three months in a coma.
A bertsolari competition named after Txiki, the Lazkao Txiki Bertsopaper Lehiaketa, was launched in 2007.