The txalaparta

Txalaparta, it is the sound that is reproduced on this instrument, so primitive and so modern, that does not even have a name: four thick wooden plancks, of different species, which the musicians, face to face, strike with their sticks.

The txalapartalaris Maialen Camblong and Dunixe Loyato -Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea - Donostia (2004)

Txalartaparta, it is also a poetic onomatopoeia which alludes to the horse's galop. It is the basic rythm from which the musicians are going to perform the most acrobatic improvisations, it is the rythm that they will meet at to take off towards new larks. And it is then astounding polyrythmics and polyphonics, with cunning artfullness, that they will produce, from those four wooden planks. When they are the Artzé brothers anyway.

For Jaxean, who is also one of the greatest contemporary basque poet, txalaparta is much more than that: "Txalaparta", it is the echo of silence, silence made explicit : when the wilderness of the valley is suddenly pierced by the galop of the solitary horse ("zaldi"), silence and quietude are made explicit. The horse striking the earth from all four, two "txalapartari" playing the wood off their four sticks : earth, wood, beast... the three kingdoms of Nature gathered in man who plays txalaparta. The instrument is female, but its song is male: verticality striking horizontality ; motion going through immobility ; male coupling female ; rain quenching earth's drought ; time invading space....: txalaparta. Ttukun, ttukun, ttukun kun, kun ttukun… tturrukuttun
Its rythm is thoroughly that of the galop of the horse and the txalapartari draws the starting cadence from his heart's throbbing.

Rather than that of any horse, txalaparta wants to act the galop of " the horse " - that is that of the prototype-horse - , the spirit of space ; this horse which will be the subject of the prehistorical basque painter artist from Santimamime, Altamira ou Ekaïm ; of the dancer from Zuberoa (Soule), Berriz (Soule) or Iruñea (Pampelune) ; or of the "irrintzilari" [ he who shouts the "irrintzi" , vital shout, shout of joy and of defiance... ]. Txalaparta portrays the nomadic horse who dwells space... or could it be the sedentary tree (" zuhaitz ") who lives time, the lifeless tree, laid down in open air, that the players' strikes want to bring to life again, giving it new branches ?

One bole, four sticks, two players. One, four, two. But it is always a third one who, silent, directs each sound; who, motionless, powers the whole motion : "tturrukuttun", the basis of the txalaparta tradition. Tturrukuttun, it is what establishes the links between the two players ; it is through tturrukuttun that the players converse ; it is around tturrukuttun that the players act ; it is from tturrukuttun that they start and it is at tturrukuttun that they finish, tturrukuttun.

Txalaparta, it is improvisation from the roots of the old theme, new hymns spring, always new, always unique, the players can never repeat.
"From the time when all things could speak" [basque common saying], when man understood the language of all things, he needed not to play txalaparta (nor to paint, nor to dance, nor to shout irrintzi), since he was living in perfect harmony with all things, since there was no chasm between him and Nature.

Ever since then, the txalapartari seeks to find again the lost harmony when he strikes the tree to portray the horse, and it is by portraying the horse that he somehow becomes horse himself...
Nowadays, things do not know how to speak... Or is it man who does not hear the words that things are saying ?

The txalaparta

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