Jose Manuel Lujanbio Retegi (also known as Txirrita, ), born on Hernani in 1860 and died in Altza in 1936,Etxegoien, J. ''Orhipean, Gure Herria ezagutzen'' Xamar: 1996 was a

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

composer of verse, known as

bertsolari Bertsolaritza or bertsolarism is the art of singing improvised songs in Basque according to various melodies and rhyming patterns. Bertsos can be composed at a variety of occasions but are performed generally by one or various ''bertsolaris'' ...

Life

He was born in the Ereñozu neighborhood of Hernani and when he was still a child, his family moved to a

baserri A baserri (; Spanish: ''caserío vasco''; French: ''maison basque'') is a traditional half-timbered or stone-built type of housebarn farmhouse found in the Basque Country in northern Spain and Southwestern France. The baserris, with their gentl ...

Errenteria Errenteria (, ) is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, in the north of Spain, near the French border. The river Oiartzun (river), Oiartzun cuts its way through the ...

named ''Txirrita'', from whence he acquired his nickname. In his last years he lived in the ''Gazteluene'' baserri in Altza. Due to an accident he suffered in Goizueta in May 1936, on June 3 of the same year he died in the ''Gazteluene'' baserri, in Altza.

Txirrita the bertsolari

Although he was heir to the baserri, he left the farm and started working as

bricklayer A bricklayer, which is related to but different from a mason, is a craftsperson and tradesperson who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The terms also refer to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of maso ...

. He began his career as a bertsolari aged 14, being in the company of bertsolaris much older than himself. He stood out by his sharp wit and agile tongue, and his witticisms left a lasting memory. Many of his bertsos deal with social issues, and the thoughts and feelings of the lower classes. As Antonio Zavala was told, many people sought out Txirrita to ask him to compose a bertso against other people. The subject of many of these bertsos was that of unrequited love. Txirrita composed his bertsos on the subject required and his nephew would write them down, later putting them into print, and after selling them on the fairs. Thanks to collective memory and collectors of bertso-papers like Antonio Zavala, many of these bertsos were recorded. Txirrita became the prototypical bertsolari - an old bachelor, reveller and rogue. Although he was a skillful bricklayer, he didn't enjoy work, and at every opportunity he would seek out a tavern to drink, sing bertsos or bet. Txirrita was unschooled and although he could read, he could not write, and he would dictate bertsos to his nephew. In 1935 he was the runner-up in the first bertsolari championship of the Basque Country, and the year after won the championship.

Legacy

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

, Hernani and Altza three streets bear his name. In Errenteria there is an industrial park called Txirrita-Maleo, named after its location between the farmhouses of Txirrita and Maleo.

References

{{Authority control Bertsolaris 1860 births 1936 deaths