Fermin Muguruza will celebrate his 40 years on stage with a huge international tour

20/06/2024
  • The enormous favorable reception of the two concerts that he will offer in Bilbao has motivated the Basque artist to organize a tour around the world.

After breaking all expectations by selling 16,000 tickets in just a few minutes for the two concerts that will be held this December in Bilbao, the Basque artist Fermin Muguruza, in the face of enormous popular demand, has decided to go on an international tour in 2025 that will take him to different countries and continents. This tour, in which he will review his entire musical career of more than 40 years, will serve to celebrate his life journey from the beginnings of Kortatu and Negu Gorriak to his most recent solo works.

After more than 11 years – since 2013 – without taking to the big stages, and seeing the 40th anniversary of the first concert he gave with his first group Kortatu approaching, the musician Fermin Muguruza announced his return on April 20, creating great expectation not only in Basque Country. An example of this is that people from different countries and regions of the world will attend the two concerts in Bilbao, given the statistics and data offered by the organization.

Censorship against dissident culture

This 40th anniversary comes at a special moment, since the Spanish media and judicial right has once again launched its offensive against Muguruza. Faced with this, Muguruza will respond by claiming his career and legacy.

The artist and film director highlights that these events will be more than just a concert, as they will serve to use music as a tool of expression and social change. The public will be able to enjoy different songs that have become icons of Basque and international music.

“I want these two concerts to be a party against censorship and the attacks from the extreme right that we are suffering lately around the world. There are the cases of the director and five teachers from the board of directors of a school in Valencia who have been accused of painting a mural that pays tribute to my creative career, the attacks on Itziar Ituño or the Athletic players for singing ‘Sarri, Sarri’, Muguruza explained.

One of the figures with the greatest influence and charisma

The Irundarra artist remembers that “it will be an honor and a privilege to be able to celebrate this 40-year journey on stage, knowing that I belong to a very hard-hit generation. The last time I went on stage was at the Kafe Antzokia in Bilbao to offer a concert in memory of my brother Iñigo, 5 years ago, and this time I hope that these concerts are special for everyone, through music, the dance and vindication, an exercise in collective memory, a celebration of life and rejection of fascism, a ceremony of hugs.”

Muguruza has been defined as one of the most influential and charismatic figures in the Basque music scene in different sectors. He began his musical career by creating the music group Kortatu with his brother Iñigo. Kortatu disbanded after releasing their last album exclusively in Basque, as they announced they would do once they recovered their language which was forbidden during their childhood under the military dictatorship of General Franco Muguruza then formed the group Negu Gorriak with his brother Iñigo, Kaki Arkarazo, Mikel Txopeitia and Mikel Anestesia. The group was one of the most important on the scene in the 90s.

After the dissolution of Negu Gorriak, Muguruza began his solo career, taking reggae and dub as a base and mixing Latin rhythms or elements of rock, hip hop, funk, soul and drum and bass.

Muguruza has collaborated with artists such as Manu Chao, Banda Bassotti, Amparanoia, Tijuana No!, Todos Tus Muertos, Albert Pla, Zebda, Desorden Público, Reincidentes, Angelo Moore de Fishbone, Raúl Refree, Obrint Pas, El Columpio Asesino, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Toots, U-Roy, Rita Marley, Peret and dozens of other artists throughout these four decades.

In addition, Muguruza has worked in the world of cinema and documentaries in recent years, and has created countless works with social themes, including the series ‘Next Music Station’ (2011), which brings together eleven documentaries on Arabic music. for the Al Jazeera network, the documentary ‘NOLA? Irun meets New Orleans’ (2015), the animated films ‘Black is Beltza’ (2018) and ‘Black is Beltza II: Ainhoa’ (2022), the latter nominated for a Goya Award, or the recent documentary ‘BIDASOA 2018-2023 ‘ (2023), among others.

CONCERTS

2024

  • December 20th: Bilbao – Miribilla (Sold out)
  • December 21st: Bilbao – Miribilla (Sold out)

2025

  • January 18: Tenerife – EC Aguere
  • January 24: Barcelona – Palau Sant Jordi
  • February 15: Madrid – Wizink Center
  • March 15: Santiago de Compostela – Fontes do Sar
  • March 21: Paris – La Cigale
  • March 22: Bordeaux – Salle du Grand Parc
  • March 28: Toulouse – Le Bikini
  • March 29: Marseille – Espace Julien
  • April 12: Zurich – Rote Fabrik
  • April 16: Berlin – SO36
  • May 20: Santiago de Chile – Teatro Cariola
  • May 24: Buenos Aires – Obras Stadium
  • May 28: Bogotá – Calle 13
  • May 31: Mexico – Skatex (Texcoco)
  • June 7: Rome – TBC
  • June 14: Donostia – Anoeta Estadioa (Reale Arena)
  • July 23: Tokyo – Radical Music Network
  • October 4: Last concert

Once Muguruza’s international tour to celebrate his 40th anniversary on stage was known, this was actress Itziar Ituño (La Casa de Papel) reaction:

“Thank you, Fermín! For your prolific career, for stirring and awakening our consciences, for making us dance, for being part of the soundtrack of the lives of some of us. As proud as you are humble, as loving as you are firm, you are the history of Euskal Herria, the present, the future. You have faced all the gales with a severe look, with that broad laugh. Lion, Apache, Mapuche, authentic Basque pioneer! It is an honor to walk by your side. One kiss. Itzi.”

FERMIN MUGURUZA 40 URTEMUGA – Band

  • Fermin Muguruza: Ahots Nagusia/Voz principal/Lead vocal
  • Lide Hernando: Gitarra eta ahotsak/Guitarra y coros/Guitar and backing vocal
  • Miryam “Matah”: Ahotsak/Coros/Backing vocal
  • Víctor Navarrete: Baxua/Bajo/Bass
  • Gerard “Chalart 58”: Perkusioa eta Dub/Percusión y dub/Percussion and Dubwise
  • Xabi Solano: Trikitixa/Acordeón Diatónico/diatonic accordion
  • Jon Elizalde: Tronboia/Trombón/Trombone
  • Aritz Lonbide: Tronpeta/Trompeta/Trumpet
  • Igor Ruiz “Fino”: Saxoa/Saxo/Sax
  • Gloria Maurel: Bateria/Bateria/Drums
  • Angel Katarain: Soinu Ingeniaria/Ingeniero de Sonido/Sound engineer
  • Ania Rodriguez: Argi Teknikaria/Técnica de luces/Lighting Technique