Ttukunak, otherwise known as Sara and Maika Gómez, are standard bearers for Basque folk percussion music, txalaparta (pronounced cha-la-parta). They have performed more than four hundred concerts worldwide, from the Royal Albert Hall in London to Brazil, and first played in Hungary in 2012 at Müpa Budapest's Day of Drums. As well as gaining popularity as a duo, they have also played alongside John Zorn, Mariza, Ojos de Brujo and Radio Tarida. The unique atmosphere of their concerts in part comes from the sight of two delicate young ladies playing what is typically considered a tough, somewhat masculine style of music. Txalaparta was originally played using large wooden boards struck by heavy-duty sticks gripped with an unusual technique. Today, this special music is played with instruments made from many different types of wood, stone and metal. The instruments were first used as a communicational device for weddings and other celebrations or as a call to prayer. The development of different txalaparta musical forms began in the 1960s, and it has been heard in concert and at festivals ever since.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest