Customer Reviews

Bilbao 00:00h

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This is an extraordinary double CD collection from renowned Basque musician Kepa Junkera. What? You've never heard of Kepa Junkera? Well, don't feel bad. American media's deep-seated ambivalence toward music from non-English speaking countries hides the world's greatest musicians from you. Kepa Junkera is a world-renowned (except in the U.S.) Txalaparta (a kind of accordion) player. He comes from the Basque region (northeastern Spain and southeastern France) a melting pot of cross-cultural influences.

Bilbao Oo:Oh was one of the best-selling albums throughout Europe and with good reason. It was a massive undertaking: 49 musicians from over a dozen countries collaborating on 23 songs across 2 CDs. Junkera bases his music on traditional Basque music, but is eager to mix it with other influences. On Bilbao Oo:Oh he brings in guest musicians such as Paddy Moloney (The Chieftains), members of Hedningarna (Sweden), Radio Tarifa (Spain), La Bottine Souriante (Canada), Justin Vali (Madagascar), Bela Fleck (U.S.), Phil Cunnigham (Scotland), and Carlos Nuñez (Spain). The range of musicians and influences keep everything fresh and very intriguing.

Every song has a distinctive and very pleasant melody and range from soft sweet ballads to energetic jigs. My favorites though are "Del Hiero A Madagascar," featuring the honey tenors of Pedro Guerra accompanied by Madagascan guitar, "Fali-Faly," an infectious Basque dance number, and "Bok-Espok," a high-energy jam session between Junkera and Swedish folk giants Hedningarna.

A trip around the world with Kepa Junkera as your host is one way to look at this set, but what's truly significant is the way in which musicians from seemingly unrelated cultures were able to play together without submerging their own unique musical flavors. Fans of folk music and world music will prize Bilbao Oo:Oh and it will be a favorite of their collection.

This is a delight from one end to the other. The production of this CD would have you believe that that it is full of multi track, gating effects and the like. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To see Kepa Junkera, his fellow musicians and singers live is to understand, it's all real music that can be played and sung by real people as an ensemble. If he requires double accordions for example he will have a second player. His extraordinary command of his instrument, sincerely sounds impossible without the help of hi-tech gadgets, yet it's all done with the instrument, no samplers, no noise gates. As if to stress this, the microphone on some tracks is so close to the sound source that you can hear the gasps of air as it is quickly sucked back inside for the next blast of tune. Incredible finger work, that EddieVan Halen would have trouble keeping up with!

His ensemble features performers from all aver the world; some of them singing in their local languages, though the dominant idiom is Euskera (Basque), as impenetrable as the African dialect featured on another track, but as beautiful to listen to as any aria.

Strangely although there are instruments and artists from around the world, the African sounding xylophone is in fact the behemoth "Txalabarta" instrument, used for communicating across the Basque mendiak (mountains). And the overall sound of the CD, (and Junkera's music in general) is unmistakably Basque rather than simply "world" music, though the whole planet seems to be in there! Could it be described as folk ambient? Too much dance, as in Fandango not rave. However this CD sounds very well when chilling out on a Sunday after the hectic Saturday night before, eyes closed in the stereo position, it will take you away on a journey in the sure knowledge that there's not one quantized midi riff, and that 53 performers are working up a sweat playing while you relax! The fact that this is a double CD is a bonus in these circumstances... as once you've tasted Kepa Junkera you'll want a second helping.

There's very little on the beat thumping rhythm, four to the floor style, which is very refreshing, the tempo rises and falls, a pretty song here and funky jazz folk latin fusion thang there (Zugarramurdi Dantza)., a reel after that, moments later a Fandango transported to an African village (Santimanineka Fandangoa & ioaeoe). The decidedly world music track (Justin Lagun) is a surprising break from the accordion, sending us to Madagascar and the Andes via Anboto.

All titles on the CD are poetically explained in Euskera, Castellano French and English. And the beautifully crafted packaging contains photography and script encapsulating many features of the Basque culture from which this masterpiece has sprung. Eskerrik asko Kepa, gehiago mezedez!

This is an aural orgasm, bai bai bai!.

Until you listen to this album, you cannot imagine how impossible it can be to sit still through a piece of music. I cannot remember a recent album so full of happiness and surprises. It lifts your soul. It is a wonder to hear musicians so obviously enjoying themselves. BUY THIS ALBUM!

Just gave my "Basque" husband this CD for his birthday. Tears came to his eyes when he hear the first song. It is just such a beautiful mix of sounds, songs . Really worth having. Thanks for carrying it.

I first heard a glowing review of this compilation on NPR and, as a fan of world music, thought it would be an interesting gamble. This gamble paid off handsomely. If you enjoy eclectic music, a melange of instruments and styles, and simple but well-executed arrangements, this is one you shouldn't miss. At the Amazon price, it is also quite a bargain. Currently hard to get retail local to where I am.

Junkera plays accordian with the precision and hyperactivity of a percussionist. Fun hooks backed with happy rhythym sections of indiginous instruments and musicians from around the globe. Kalimba, harp, violin, bagpipes - Bela Fleck makes the banjo sound absolutely civilized, Paddy Maloney from the Chieftains is another of many noteworthy guests. Absolutely excellent. Buy it.

Too often people fall into a trap of wanting to categorize music. Is it rock? Is it folk? No, it's "international" whatever that means. Forget all that. Get this CD. Get it now. Listen to it. You'll discover that the accordian can be cool. You'll learn that just because you've never heard something on the radio doesn't mean that it's not worth hearing. Most importantly, you'll realize that Louis Armstrong was correct when he said that there are only two types of music: good and bad. Bilbao Zero Hour is good music. No, it's very good music.

Excellent mixture of basque and other traditional music influences

I first heard this while riding my bicycle through the Pyrenees. The music is so uplifting and wonderful that it powered me over Tour de France type mountain passes. Now that I'm home, it continues to bring hours of listening plesaure. Can't wait for another Kepa offering.

Every once in a while I am sent a real sleeper CD--something that looks as though it is something I will hardly be able to bear to listen to all the way through (and believe me, I get a few of those from time to time), but which turns out to be an unexpected musical delight. Bilbao 00:00h is truly a delight, mixing musical styles and instruments from around the world into a joyful sound anchored by the accordion playing of the young Basque musician, Kepa Junkera. There are a number of musicians who contribute to the music on this two-CD set, too many to mention, but some of the more familiar names are Bela Fleck, Phil Cunningham, and Paddy Moloney. The liner notes are especially interesting, covering all the songs and providing some insight into the various musical styles represented. The sound quality tends to the crisp and dry side, enough so to not sound quite natural, but not enough to be actively irritating.