Zarama is one of the great rock bands of the Basque Country, which marked the spirits, between the end of the 70s and 1994, date of its dissolution.
Zarama, they are Biscayans from Santurtzi, friends who are fans of punk rock: in their beginnings, their music was very rhythmic, a little nervous, but very in tune with the times, “Basque rock”, or “alternative rock” , booming at the time.
Little by little, Zarama’s music softened, keeping a rock rhythm, but with less punk.
The peculiarity of Zarama, in the linguistic context of the time, is that from the start, all their songs were written and sung in Basque.
Jose Manuel Ibar “Urtain”, the Basque boxing legend
In his last album, Binilo Bala, in 1994, Zarama paid tribute to the boxer from Aizarnazabal, Jose Manuel Ibar, nicknamed “Urtain”, from the name of the family farm.
Urtain was an imposing, valiant athlete, who had cut his teeth in traditional Basque games, particularly stone lifting.
It was then, somewhat by chance, that he entered the world of boxing.
He took part in 71 heavyweight fights, won 56 of them, 41 of them by knockout, lost 11 times and got 4 draws.
After the glory, the fall…
In this song, Zarama pays tribute to this great champion, Urtain, but also denounces the behavior of the profiteers, who are there to help him lift the cups, but who disappeared from circulation once his career was over.
Jose Manuel Ibar “Urtain”, riddled with debt, committed suicide in Madrid by jumping from the 10th floor of the building where he lived, he was 49 years old, it was 30 years ago, on July 21, 1992.