Lourdes Iriondo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lourdes Iriondo
Background information
Birth name	Lourdes Iriondo Mujika
Born	27 March 1937 San Sebastián, Spain
Died	2005 (aged 67–68) Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Occupation(s)	Singer, writer

Lourdes Iriondo Mujika was a famous singer and writer from the Basque Country in Spain. She is known for helping to bring the Basque language back to life through her music and writing. Lourdes was born in San Sebastián, Spain, on March 27, 1937. She later lived in Urnieta, Spain. People remember her as a very popular member of a music group that made Basque songs popular again.

Lourdes Iriondo's Music Career

In 1964, Lourdes Iriondo started singing in Basque. She did this to help raise money for the ikastola schools in Andoain. These schools teach in the Basque language. At that time, most music in Spain was in English or Spanish. Lourdes and other Basque artists helped new Basque songs become popular.

She joined other talented Basque musicians. These included Mikel Laboa, Josean Arza, Xabier Lete, and Benito Lertxundi. In 1965, they formed a group called Ez Dok Amairu. This name means "There is no 13." The group wanted to bring Basque culture back to life. For a long time, Basque culture had been stopped or even forbidden. This was because of the Francoist regime, a type of government that ruled Spain.

The group worked hard to make people more aware of Basque culture. They also wanted to improve the social standing of the Basque language. Xabier Lete, another member, once said that the group did a great job. He said they brought new songs with new topics and tunes to Basque folk music.

Basque music was often banned until 1975. This was because of the song lyrics. Even with these rules, the musicians released many songs and albums. Some albums were even made for children's stories, like Ortzadarra and Maripetralin. The group Ez Dok Amairu officially broke up in 1972.

After leaving the group, Lourdes Iriondo focused on writing. She created children's books based on local folklore. Some of her books include Martin Arotza Deabrua Jaun eta and Buruntza azpian. She also wrote "Ortzadarra" (1978) and "Lotara joateko ipuinak" (1982). She wrote these with Andu Lertxundi and Asun Balzola. Lourdes also worked with Basque Public Television, called ETB.

Personal Life

Lourdes Iriondo married Xabier Lete. He was also a popular Basque singer and writer. They were both members of the singing group Ez Dok Amairu.

Lourdes Iriondo passed away in Donostia-San Sebastian on December 27, 2005. She had been ill for a long time. Her ashes were buried in the Urnieta cemetery in Gipuzkoa.

After she died, her husband, Xabier Lete, began writing about their time together. In an interview in 2009, he said that poems started to come to him. These poems were about missing Lourdes and his feelings of loss and sadness. He also wrote about their happy times. He remembered summers in Navarra, trips to Italy, and stays in the Mediterranean. He said these were moments when they felt full of light and happiness.

Selected Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Lourdes Iriondo released:

• "Maria Lourdes Iriondo." 1967, Belter record label.
• "Maria Lourdes Iriondo." 1967, Belter record label.
• "Lourdes Iriondo." 1968, Belter record label.
• "Kanta zaharrak." 1968, Belter record label.
• "Aur kantak." 1969, Herri Gogoa-Edigsa.
• "Lourdes Iriondo-Xabier Lete." 1969, Herri Gogoa (Donostia).
• "Lourdes Iriondo." 1969, Herri gogoa-Edigsa.
• "Lurdes Iriondo." 1974, Art and Science (Donostia).
• "Lurdes Iriondo-Xabier Lete." 1976, Edigsa.
• "Lurdes Iriondo. Anthology." 2006, Elkar.

See also

In Spanish: Lourdes Iriondo Mujika para niños