One of the best parts of Jaialdi was the music. There were groups wandering the Basque block playing music, more organized acts on the main stage in the middle of the street, and the concert in the arena. Everywhere, people were dancing and singing. One of the bands that played both on the street stage and later in the concert in the arena was Gatibu. I got to see them once when I went to Euskadi in 2006 – they played the fiesta in Aulesti. It was great to rediscover them – their music was infectious and easy to dance to. Highly recommended!

• Gatibu, which means captive in Basque, hails from Gernika-Lumo. They formed in 2000 with Alex Sardui, the front man, and guitarist Haimar Arejita as the original nucleus of the band. The two had collaborated before on a folk album and that collaboration led to Gatibu. They completed the quartet with Mikel Caballero (bass) and Gaizka Salazar on drums. Caballero died in 2024, a few years after leaving Gatibu.
• A fun side note – Haimar’s mother is from Munitibar, the same town my dad was from (thanks Pedro for that piece of trivia).
• They released their first album in 2002. Entitled Zoramena, it received critical acclaim and was a huge hit in the Basque Country. One of the songs on Zoramena, “Musturrek Sartunde,” received an award for best song of the year.
• Over the years, Gatibu has released 10 albums and many of their songs have become classics. In Boise, everyone around us was singing along to their most popular songs, including “Bang-bang txik-txiki bang-bang,”, “Zeu, zeu, zeu!,” “Pailazo,” and “Eztanda egin arte.”
• Gatibu is known for singing in the Bizkaian dialect, particularly the Busturialdean variant. Describing their style, their website says “Their musical style is basically colorful rock sung in the Biscayan dialect, full of melody and lively. A broad music that has escaped from artistic complexes, which is created by soaking the power of rock with the melody of pop, plus friendship and everyday themes centered on emotions or moods. But although the trunk is rock and pop, it also waters the leaves that the branches that emerge from it give; folk, country and some danceable disco/funky rhythms also adhere naturally throughout the repertoire.”
• As stated on their website, “Gatibu looks at the world through the lens of music, addresses music through the lens of rock and roll, looks to the future through the lens of culture, sings to its compatriots through the lens of Basque. What worries us? What do we want to change? Well, let’s go, let’s move, let’s change, the revolution must be joyful, let joy cause tears. Think, dance, feel, dance, move, dance, don’t stand still, free yourself from fear.”
• Gatibu is also known for their extensive touring. In 2009, in support of their album Laino Guztien Gainetik, Sasi Guztien Azpitik, they performed 50 concerts all over the Basque Country. In 2012, they performed for the first time outside of the Basque Country, in Barcelona and Ireland.
• This year marks 25 years since Gatibu first got together. It is also the year of their farewell tour. They will give their last performance on December 13, 2025, in Barakaldo.

A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.

Primary sources: Gatibuk 2025eko abenduan emango dio amaiera 25 urteko ibilbideari, kontzertu erraldoi batekin by Iñigo Astiz, Berria; Gatibu; Gatibu, Wikipedia