Basque Stickdropping music?

Subject: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 01:03 PM

A friend has mentioned that he saw some Basque musicians with a kind of big wooden xylophone (planks across sawhorses) where they dropped sticks onto the xylophone and caught them again very fast, and that was how the sound was made. Anyone heard of this, and what is it called? yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 01:29 PM

Peter, take a look at this page.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 01:32 PM

And, pictures.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 03:31 PM

Could someone ripping apart a lady's undergarment be described as a 'Basque separatist' ?

Nigel

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: p.j.
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 03:56 PM

Dear Peter,

There's a txalaparta piece on the CD I just released with Shira Kammen, and we did 12 shows last December featuring this instrument live. Mine is 8 feet long with 7 exotic harwoods laid over two huge apple baskets. (shutup 'Spaw) Here's a link to the page on our website that tells a little about the instrument...   

Kammen and Swan / Instruments Page

Two of the best players in the world are Hector and Igor Otoxa. Their group is called Oreka TX, and they helped me in building mine and learning to play last year. They don't have a website but there are sound samples out there somewhere from their album Quercus Endorphina. I'll try to find them and make a link for you-- it's really worth a listen.

Shira & I are lining up a fall tour in Europe for the CD, and I plan to visit Igor & Hector while I'm in Spain to work some more on learning this complex and wonderful instrument.

xoxo
p.j.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 04:07 PM

Why didn't you tell me that among your other talents was dropping wood on wood? You have been hiding your talents under a sawhorse!!!!Where were you hiding the txalaparta when I was there, p.j.? Behind the fridge?


This has spawned (er) another thread (Make Up A New Instrument).

yours,
Peter T.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: open mike
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 06:07 AM

this is quite an interesting surprise to find out about this instrument.
I remember when i saw amusical group from Asturria, which is probaly
Basque territory?? called Llan de Cubel, they had another unique instrument-it was like a giant key board that the mandola player
played with his feet..looked like those pedals at the bottom of
an electric organ, only they were huge and he tapped them to play
a bass line while playing his stringed instrument as well. It sat
on the floor in fromt of him. I had to sneak to a forbidden place
in the balcony to be able to see to find out what he was doing with his feet!

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 01:50 PM

What about brick dropping music?

That sounds like a footdella as played by Jess Fuller, open mike. It's always said he invented it. Maybe the Basque group got the idea from there. Or maybe it's got a pre-history.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: Mr Red
Date: 26 Jan 03 - 06:21 AM

Sounds like a bodhran workshop **BG**

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: mg
Date: 26 Jan 03 - 03:05 PM

don't know the answer but the area around Reno Nevada USA has many Basques I understand. They have a Basque festival there. I believe that Idaho has quite a few too. mg

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: GUEST,p.j. from work
Date: 26 Jan 03 - 03:41 PM

Besides the one in my livingroom, the only other txalaparta in N. America is at the Basque Cultural Center in Reno. (As far as we know.)

It weighs over 300#, has 13 planks (some of iron and stone) and was donated to the Center by Ugarte Aniak, a great txalaparta duo. They discovered it was less expensive to build one in the U.S. for their concert than to ship one over and back from Spain!

p.j.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: open mike
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 12:52 AM

If you ever get the chance to eat a t a Basque restaurant--do it!
Some (esp in nevada)...serve the old timey way-family style..
there is one menu--many items, and the seating is around one
(or several) large tables, and when you join in you immediatly
became as if one of the family--plates are passed and shared by
everyone at the table. There is a more formal (less traditional)
restaurant in Chico, where there are more smaller, private tables.
There are always so many apetizer type dishes that you hardly have
room for the main course. As a vegetarian, i usually just order the
antipasto, salad, soup, bread, pasta, veggie and other side dishes
without even getting the main (meat) dish. I have never gone away
hungry!! As Basques are traditionally great sheep herders, there is always lamb on the menu.

Subject: RE: Basque Stickdropping music?
From: weepiper
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 02:45 PM

The txalaparta is a fantastic instrument! I have Oreka Tx's cd and saw them playing with Kepa Junkera. It's the most amazing thing to watch.

The Basques have lots of cool instruments. Personally next time I visit the Basque country I want to get myself an Alboka - double hornpipe affair - loud! see here or a Txistu - kind of an advanced whistle with a huge range and a very sweet tone - see here

Oh and open mike is right about Basque food - boy do they know how to eat :-D