Kepa Junkera
Basque trikitixa player who expanded the instrument's reach through improvisation and collaborations.
- Years
- 1965–
- Country
- Spain (Basque Country)
- Instrument
- Trikitixa
Kepa Junkera is a trikitixa player and composer from Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country. Largely self-taught on the Basque diatonic accordion, he began recording in the late 1980s and brought improvisation, jazz, and musicians from other traditions into his work. His collaborations carried trikitixa beyond its local dance setting.
The 2003 live album K won the Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2004. Hiri (2006) explored city images and musical encounters, while the 2014 CD-book Trikitixaren historia txiki bat, made with Sorginak, returned to the instrument's history. Junkera has kept the sound of a traditional instrument at the centre of changing ensembles and new exchanges.
Selected works, recordings and publications
- K2003
Live album that won the 2004 Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album.
Release / publisherLive album · 2003
Publication source - Trikitixaren historia txiki bat2014
A CD-book with Sorginak revisiting the trikitixa tradition.
Release / publisherCD-book · 2014
Publication source
Biography source Latin Grammy 2004 award record Basque government cultural listing EuskalKultura: Hiri album report