Negu Gorriak

Basque Rock Band

From Basque country (Spain), Negu Gorriak is born after the ska group Kortatu was disbanded in the most popular point of its career in order to avoid creative settlement. The influences from Os Resentidos, old school rappers, Public Enemy, hardcore punk, reggae, ska and latin music are very clear in their eponymic record where the drums are sequenced and the sampler becomes very present. In 1991 two new members will become part of the group: Mikel Anestesia (Mikel Kazalis) and Mikel BAP (Mikel Abrego), incrementing considerably the quality and depth of music of the band. In that year they also created Esan Ozenki (Say It Out Loud, in Basque), their own record label. Published in 1991, Gure Jarrera would make Negu Gorriak both famous (as the most solid group of the Basque music rock scene) and infamous (for the song Ustelkeria, which will lead to them to court). Salam Agur would be Negu Gorriak's last album. In it they decided to salute their friends and music influences by covering some of their favourite songs. Influential artists covered were BAP!!, Otis Redding, Who, Macka B, Minor Threat, Bob Marley, Public Enemy, Clash, Redskins, Poison Idea, Errobi, Dead Kennedys, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Anestesia (3) and N.W.A.. Once again, as it happened with Kortatu they decided to disband the group in order to avoid creative settling. Fermin Muguruza performed solo (sometimes with the FM Dub Manifest or Fermin Muguruza Kontrabanda) and briefly joined Manu Chao's Radio Bemba Sound System in 2003 while other members formed bands like Joxe Ripiau, Nación Reixa, Sagarroi, 2 Kate, Kuraia, Parafünk, Inoren Ero Ni, ... The band would get together three more times for three farewell concerts. Those were also celebration shows, for the court had taken away the charges and there would not be, after all, any settlement for Rodríguez Galindo.