Like Magellan, Spanish band Belako has landed on Philippine shores.
In an exclusive interview with Bullletin Entertainment, guitarist Josu Ximun Billelabeitia, vocalist Cristina Lizarraga, drummer Lander Zalakain, and bassist Lore Nekane Billelabeitia said they enjoy going to different places where they learn new things. In the past two years, they have been playing non-stop around Spain and Europe’s biggest festivals, as well as in Asia.
Still, the Philippines has a special place in their hearts.
“When we are with the local people, we feel safe, that we are not alone,” Josu said, likely because of strong similarities in cultures between the two countries.
Cristina feel that, in general, they improve whenever they perform "in context of new culture" because it feels like performing again for the first time, everytime "because nobody knows you."
They admitted to still getting stage fright, though. But as soon as the first note sounds off, all anxiety is annihilated.
BELAKO (Photo by Kristianne Eugene Mayo/Manila Bulletin) " Fedback is very important,” Josu said. “Because sometimes we are humans and we are in different moods, so sometimes when you are not very on but the people are giving you some emotions like they’re enjoying it. We could be more motivated.” Start in Spain Lore shared they’re from Basque, a place in North of Spain where they have their own language and their own culture and tradition. “And Belako is a neighborhood in Mungia, a town where Josu and I were born. We started playing in a factory, rehearsing there. The factory was our grandfather's. That is in a neighborhood called Belako,” she continued. Josu noted they’re “quite famous in the indie music scene" in Spain. Just two years after formation, the band released its first full-length CD “Eurie" under their own Belako Recorsa. They had released two more EPs since Asked to describe their music, they said it is “high intensity, hypnotic melodies, with great riffs, amazing bass rhythms, and powerful drums.” How would they differentiate it from other bands? “I think we try to do something which is our music but obviously it has always had some influences of different bands from ’80s or ’90s. But I think we do one thing which is we don’t close doors to any style. We always like experimenting with different sounds and the structure is very strange,” Josu shared. Though their style is close to rock, post-punk, electronic music, still in their every show they go from dark to light, from the ’80s through the 21st century, from sweet voices to screams, from relaxation to sweat, and so on. But wouldn’t it be hard for their fans to get into the groove of their music because they don’t have a signature sound? “Everybody knows that when they listen to the song of us, they know we are Belako because the voice is very significant, very unique” Josu related. Powerful tool Belako writes their own stuff. In fact, each track is a product of their collaboration. They agree that aside from music being a source of entertainment for listeners, it can also serve as a platform for good messages concerning socially relevant subjects. “We tackle different concerns.like gender violence, about immigrants and how they were blocked in Europe, also about corruption,” Cristina said. “I think we have the opportunity to send a message but we don’t force it on anyone." The band recently performed at the Manila Bulletin for its #MBLifeLive. They were joined by local bands like 6cyclemind, Banda ni Kleggy, She’s Only Sixteen, and The Metro Fantastic. A few days later, Belako performed in a new edition of this series of concerts and side-events organized by the Embassy of Spain and the Instituto Cervantes de Manila with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
BELAKO (Photo by Kristianne Eugene Mayo/Manila Bulletin) " Fedback is very important,” Josu said. “Because sometimes we are humans and we are in different moods, so sometimes when you are not very on but the people are giving you some emotions like they’re enjoying it. We could be more motivated.” Start in Spain Lore shared they’re from Basque, a place in North of Spain where they have their own language and their own culture and tradition. “And Belako is a neighborhood in Mungia, a town where Josu and I were born. We started playing in a factory, rehearsing there. The factory was our grandfather's. That is in a neighborhood called Belako,” she continued. Josu noted they’re “quite famous in the indie music scene" in Spain. Just two years after formation, the band released its first full-length CD “Eurie" under their own Belako Recorsa. They had released two more EPs since Asked to describe their music, they said it is “high intensity, hypnotic melodies, with great riffs, amazing bass rhythms, and powerful drums.” How would they differentiate it from other bands? “I think we try to do something which is our music but obviously it has always had some influences of different bands from ’80s or ’90s. But I think we do one thing which is we don’t close doors to any style. We always like experimenting with different sounds and the structure is very strange,” Josu shared. Though their style is close to rock, post-punk, electronic music, still in their every show they go from dark to light, from the ’80s through the 21st century, from sweet voices to screams, from relaxation to sweat, and so on. But wouldn’t it be hard for their fans to get into the groove of their music because they don’t have a signature sound? “Everybody knows that when they listen to the song of us, they know we are Belako because the voice is very significant, very unique” Josu related. Powerful tool Belako writes their own stuff. In fact, each track is a product of their collaboration. They agree that aside from music being a source of entertainment for listeners, it can also serve as a platform for good messages concerning socially relevant subjects. “We tackle different concerns.like gender violence, about immigrants and how they were blocked in Europe, also about corruption,” Cristina said. “I think we have the opportunity to send a message but we don’t force it on anyone." The band recently performed at the Manila Bulletin for its #MBLifeLive. They were joined by local bands like 6cyclemind, Banda ni Kleggy, She’s Only Sixteen, and The Metro Fantastic. A few days later, Belako performed in a new edition of this series of concerts and side-events organized by the Embassy of Spain and the Instituto Cervantes de Manila with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).