WOMAD

Kepa Junkera

From Spain

One of the many delights of the WOMAD festival is the opportunity it offers to compare at first-hand the development and use of a particular instrument in different cultures and countries. This year, Tex-Mex accordeon virtuoso Flaco Jimenez is on the bill – as is Spain's own master of the "infernuko auspoa" ("the bellows from hell"), Kepa Junkera.Kepa, now 33, is a native of Bilbao. His musical career began with the band Oskorri in 1983 and he has returned to play with the group on many occasions since then (they feature on Kepa's new album, along with many other guests). He has played solo, with his own small band and with collaborators including the Chieftains and Galician piper Carlos Núñez (who is also appearing at Rivermead). In 1992, Kepa teamed up with John Kirkpatrick and the Italian player Ricardo Tesi to make 'Trans-Europe Diatonic', and then moved on to work with Portugese singer Julio Pereira. This year, in between his relentless touring and studio sessions with other musicians, he's made his own double album, 'Bilbao 00.00h', which features most of the musical friends he has made over the past 15 years. Among the line-up are members of Radio Tarifa, the Chieftains, Oskorri and Quebecois group Bottine Souriante. Also on the album is Justin Vali, a big hit with WOMAD audiences, who will be playing with Kepa this weekend. Justin, from Madagascar, is a master of the valiha, the island's unique string instrument. Playing here with his trio three years ago, he found it hard to leave the stage, so tumultuous and prolonged was the applause that greeted his set. Since then, Justin has been a regular performer at WOMAD festivals around the globe, has recorded an album for Real World Records, and has even played with Kate Bush.