(OOC: As any usual Euskirribakondaran entry, this one is not performed in English. Translation of the lyrics is given between brackets, so that the respective broadcasters can subtitle the performance.)
WHF24 marks the 11th edition of the contest after Euskirribakondara's last participation ('Suako Danborrada' by Alía Font, Jan Danburrelgó & HaD, which won with 45 points); and out of the blue, EUSK1 decided to participate again. The whole country has been eagerly awaiting this moment, because the WHF is the favorite non-sports TV event of the nation; but also, because they want to bring back their colorful culture to the global stage.
Xabi Urkiola is under pressure, of course, since the nation has won five times and has only twice been outside the top 3 (a 4th place in WHF12, and a 6th place in WHF5). He knows that this can be a prime moment in his career, or a night to be forgotten.
He is, however, as calm as he can be and proud, very proud. He will be the first entry that showcases the Euskal Gaita folk, a genre that has never been displayed before in any music contest of the multiverse; and he is an artist that has won several awards for "staying true to his roots". His two main allies in that mission are
Ehi Busquets (the most famous Euskal accordeonist) and
Mayté Nabusimake (a
gaiterasí, an
Euskal gaita player). The three of them, together, have created an upbeat song that has been constantly played in the Euskal radio, and aims to bring back Euskirribakondara on the WHF podium. Xabi has described it like this:
OOC: Important, please read the following explanation of the song
"Mayté, Ehi and me, we wanted to create a song for love. But not to the materialistic, almost shallow love that we see everyday around us in this ever-growing online world... We wanted to remember and honor that kind of love whose importance and validity lie in the small things. In those small imperfections, in those gazes that can only be shared between life partners, in that almost indescribable excitement that we have with a lot of things in life. And that's exactly the topic of our song. We also wanted to bring back the Euskal joy of life to the global stage, and that's why we opted for a very colorful upbeat performance, that is also reflected in the tune itself... We really can't wait to perform at the Stadje pau Caena!"
Ellie Morgent hadn't even finished the Estoge entry when Xabi's heart began pounding very fast. This was it! For the first time after eleven editions, the Euskal fans of the audience (approximately 8000 this time) would finally be able to wave their flags for their own entry. The postcard of Euskirribakondara began as the Normand staff instructed Xabi, Ehi, Mayté and the rest of the Euskal crew to go on stage. They were twenty-two in total (following the long standing traditional obsession of the Harrikia for the number '22'): the three main performers plus eight female dancers, six male dancers/acrobats, an acoustic guitarist, an electric guitarist, a bassist and two percussionists (music would be 100% live). The female dancers were wearing a
traditional Euskal Coastal dress, whilst the male dancer/acrobats were shirtless (with
traditional patterns painted on their torsos) and with white baggy short pants. Xabi was dressed like
this, Mayté was wearing a
dress made of Euskal tropical flowers; and Ehi was dressed like
this.
The band went to the right back corner of the stage, whilst the eight ladies formed a circle around a circular dynamic platform in the centre of the stage (a black platform that could go up and down (like
THIS but larger), with a black canvas covering the structure beneath it). Behind this circle, towards the back of the stage, a black standing screen hid Mayté and Ehi, who would later "magically" appear during the performance. Xabi went to the front of the stage whilst the male dancers went to the front left white ramp of the stage and sat down in the very casual poses in which they would remain until the chorus.
The stage went pitch black, the postcard had finished and it was the turn of the fifth entry of the contest. The spotlights went to the acoustic guitarist who
began playing the first chords of the song. The camera started on the guitar itself and began zooming out revealing the guitarist, and then the band. After eight seconds, the image switched to the front camera of the stage, which was focused on a kneeling Xabi who was about to sing, illuminated by a yellowish spotlight behind him (giving out a cool yellow shadow effect). As he sang, he was getting up.
[0:08 - 0:16]
Ni goizko unkeren aspera (That first deep breath in the morning)
Oso izan aboliupesa (Is what I want to be)
Akua fexoteren txanta (That drop of fresh water)
Zuren maitesere akasta (That singing of love of yours)
Completely on his feet now, he took a short deep breath, the second verse would begin in a milisecond. The percussion started, so the cameras switched to the left of the stage to focus on the drum-playing action for a brief moment before taking a panoramic shot of the stage: the LED screen behind the stage was beginning to display moving flames whose colors went from a light blue to a strong orange (in light of the song's rhythm, and also because of the flag of Euskirribakondara). The spotlights, accordingly, switched to a dim orange-ish tone.
[0:16 - 0:25]
Kizera zuren poiak (What your feet feel)
Lorra gokitzu sentitesa (When they touch the earth)
Hureke un kapile matxin (That single rebellious strand of hair)
Zuren irribadez transate- (That comes across your smile)
The rhythm passed from focusing on the guitar action to a strong drumming beat as Xabi sang. A camera above the stage showed the circle formed by the female dancers, who began to dance clockwise holding one end of their dress on the left hand, and a lit candle on their right hand. The lights were becoming brighter, and the flames on the LED screen were growing and moving faster than before.
[0:25 - 0:32]
-saduten, eta guztot (And the fact that)
Hakeste abok dute (I want all of this)
Ni zu sentitu kizera (It's because I want you)
Ni dak aboliupeselakia (To feel what I feel)
The chorus suddenly exploded on stage. The male dancers came to life and got up running to the center of the stage, whilst the ladies began spinning on their own axes in a beautiful image highlighted by the candle action. The screens switched to a dynamic display of shapes and vibrant joyful colors, and the white light all over the arena was bringing even more life to the performance. The cameras were now going crazy... At times showing the passionate heartfelt singing of Xabi (who sang the chorus in Aranese), at times showing the dancing action, and sometimes switching to the instrument playing action, and even once showing the Euskal flags waving proudly in several spots of the stadium.
[0:33 - 0:48]
Voi, voi, voi (I want, I want, I want to)
Amar-te per com t'aixeqas (Love you for/because_of how you wake up)
Que non c'è filtre de Poi (There ain't no Poi* photo filter)
Que capturi ta oitexeza (That can capture the beauty of the glow in your eyes)
Hai, hai, hai (Yes, yes, yes)
Amar-te pel que no deixas (Love you for/because_of that special thing)
Que la gent en tu ho voigui (You keep for yourself and not just "anyone" else)
Ta interna maga belleza (That magic intern beauty of yours)
*"Poi" is the Euskirribakondaran equivalent of Instagram. The Euskirribakondaran society in general is currently complaining about the importance given to the Poi posts and selfies, which require an immense amount of back work, versus the natural impromptu beauty .
Two of the female dancers hid with Ehi behind the black standing screen and Mayté swiftly advanced to the central platform. The audience couldn't see her, though, since six pairs of dancers (one female, one male) were capturing all the attention with their graceful yet brisk movements. The LED screen now showed a cup of coffee in front of a beautiful sunrise where the cup disappeared as the sun rose. The spotlights were on the dancers and on Xabi, who began singing the next verse in Euskal...
[0:49 - 0:56]
Ni kafetxe kumetxuren (That smell of the warm smoking coffee)
Alond' izan aboliupesa (Is what I want to be)
Unmila euskiko bidaiare (The first day of a trip)
-ren unkeren egudeta (Of a thousand sunrises)
He was nailing it, somehow he hadn't ran out of breath yet. Those vocal technique classes of years were paying off. The LED screen went black as the steadicams played with the dancers, flowing through them and showing all the action. One of the cameras focused at one point on a silhouette of flowers in the center of the stage. Xabi kept going...
[0:57 - 1:04]
Teateraren delona (The excitement of the opening)
Uregireren haixea (Of the theatre's curtain)
Aihutxare temurata (That cute fearful cry)
Lenago ke' salfedea (Before taking that leap of faith)
The chorus exploded again and this time the 'voi, voi, voi' was stronger because it was shouted by everyone on stage (and the die-hard fans in the audience too). The dynamic patterns on the LED screen came back, and the cameras were focusing on a smiling group of dancers. One of the hidden female dancers re-appeared to join Xabi dancing. The candles were turned off and left in a circle in the center, and everyone, quite synchronously, followed a traditional Euskal choreography.
[1:05 - 1:20]
Voi, voi, voi (I want, I want, I want to)
Amar-te per com t'aixeqas (Love you for/because_of how you wake up)
Que non c'è filtre de Poi (There ain't no Poi photo filter)
Que capturi ta oitexeza (That can capture the beauty of the glow in your eyes)
Hai, hai, hai (Yes, yes, yes)
Amar-te pel que no deixas (Love you for/because_of that special thing)
Que la gent en tu ho voigui (You keep for yourself and not just "anyone" else)
Ta interna maga belleza (That magic intern beauty of yours)
Before the last line of the chorus, the attention went back to the central silhouette of flowers, from where at the 'belleza' word, Mayté and her gaita emerged to perform the 16-sec gaita solo. People were now aware of the existence of the platform because Mayté was "magically" being lifted by the "ground" into the air as she performed. The LED screen behind her showed as many flowers as those in her dress, and a wind machine completed the scene. As she finished, the accordion began playing but no one saw Ehi (he was still hidden), so the eyes went to the dancing crew who were now performing differently, in a rhythm that matched the accordion notes, with the blue-and-orange flames in the backscreen again.
The platform went back down and Xabi (who finally had had some seconds to breathe normally and kind of calm down) stood in front of it. With her dress, Mayté was providing a beautiful flowery background for Xabi, who began singing the bridge in Portuguese (a language that had been chosen to be featured because of the recent inclusion of the sixteenth province of Euskirribakondara, a predominantly lusophone one: Uirapurú). It was as if the flowers were hugging him, and the candles were in front of him creating a rather warm portrayal.
[1:53 - 2:08]
Eu quero que você sinta (I want you to feel)
O que eu sempre 'tô sentindo (What I am always feeling)
Aquele fogo que dança (That dancing fire)
Entre nós, que nunca se apaga (Between us, inextinguishable)
Aquela flama incrível (That incredible flame)
Que só há quando os olhares (That only exists when our gazes)
Se cruzam num impossível (Cross each other, in a moment that seems impossible)
E renascem nos seus mares (And get a new life of their own in the seas where they navigate)
With the 'voi, voi, voi' shouts, the arena erupted again, and Xabi went again to the front of the stage to meet with the rest of the dancers, who were now performing around him (but no longer in couples, just individually). The LED screen went back to the dynamic pattern but this time the colors were more on the red/orange/yellow spectrum; and the cameras were also able to capture the vibrant energy of the crowd who were really enjoying themselves with the song.
[2:09 - 2:24]
Voi, voi, voi (I want, I want, I want to)
Amar-te per com t'aixeqas (Love you for/because_of how you wake up)
Que non c'è filtre de Poi (There ain't no Poi photo filter)
Que capturi ta oitexeza (That can capture the beauty of the glow in your eyes)
Hai, hai, hai (Yes, yes, yes)
Amar-te pel que no deixas (Love you for/because_of that special thing)
Que la gent en tu ho voigui (You keep for yourself and not just "anyone" else)
Ta interna maga belleza (That magic intern beauty of yours)
Everything dark except the central platform where now Ehi was standing, given that his 16-sec accordion solo was here (again, spotlights on the platform as it went up). The cameras revolved around him and perfectly showcased the passion with which he performed with his instrument: his best friend after so many years. The solo was complemented by Xabi's singing in the back. As the solo was being performed, the fourteen dancers and Xabi took strategic places around the stage.
A new part of the song was about to begin. The floor, which had been black until now, and the white edge of the stage, were transformed in the blink of an eye. The floor looked like a pond in a crystal-like light blue color, and the edges were bright orange. Around each standing dancer (+ Xabi), circular waves began expanding as they began turning and singing altogether. At this point Xabi was euphoric... He didn't care about the result anymore, he was enjoying himself beyond belief, and that energy was being transmitted to everyone watching the performance.
[2:42 - 2:56]
Maitesez... (I loved you)
Maitesa... (I love you)
Maitesez, maitesa, maitesarí! (I loved you, I love you, I will love you)
Guararez... (I have lived with passion)
Guararesa... (I live with passion)
Ni zurekin... (With you)
Betietan guararesarí! (My life will always be filled with passion)
The floor went black again, and the edges were now red and beating with flowing blood (like a heart). The acoustic guitarist was on the spotlight again, a new solo came in thanks to him. The female dancers "disappeared" as the male ones began performing breathtaking acrobatics (very parkour-like) with fire. When the guitar solo ended, the male dancers exited the stage as the female ones re-entered it wearing a new dress (like
this but without the hat), holding hands... Four on one side of Xabi, and the other four on the other side. In the platform (which was already up again), Mayté was standing, dancing around with her gaita.
For the chorus, the camera would focus on one dancer per sentence (which they'd act out dancing), creating a very compelling sequence. The cool thing about the selected dancers is that they represented the Euskal women: in different shapes, colors and sizes. The background screens were not showing anything now, because the idea was to put the attention on the dresses and the dances. The bright white light did illuminate the whole stage, and the edges switched between white and red to the beat of the song.
[3:13 - 3:30]
Voi, voi, voi (I want, I want, I want to)
Amar-te per com t'aixeqas (Love you for/because_of how you wake up)
Que non c'è filtre de Poi (There ain't no Poi photo filter)
Que capturi ta oitexeza (That can capture the beauty of the glow in your eyes)
Hai, hai, hai (Yes, yes, yes)
Amar-te pel que no deixas (Love you for/because_of that special thing)
Que la gent en tu ho voigui (You keep for yourself and not just "anyone" else)
Ta interna maga belleza (That magic intern beauty of yours)
A final gaita solo was here thanks to Mayté. The ladies and Xabi exited the stage as she played, going towards the crowd. The nine of them rapidly got lost among the crowd, dancing with them, sharing the Euskal comeback; as the sound gradually faded. In the arena and the TV, it was unclear when the song ended because as the volume of the tune went down, the volume of the cheers of the crowd went up. Xabi, Mayté, Ehi and the whole crew had been succesful in bringing back that contagious joyful Euskal energy to the contest.
Barely audible, and with his image completely blocked by waving flags, Xabi shouted the traditional thanking formula of his nation...
"Géskerri Rasko!"The lights went off giving way to the next performance...