Beñat Achiary, born in 1947 in Saint-Palais in France’s Pyrénées-Atlantiques region, stands as a towering figure in the world of experimental music and vocal improvisation.
The songs he heard as a child, sung in gatherings and imbued with storytelling, fostered his understanding of music not only as a form of entertainment but as a vessel of identity and emotion.
While rooted in tradition, Achiary was drawn to broader artistic horizons, with influences spanning from sacred chants to contemporary European composers.
Achiary’s work with institutions like the Roy Hart Theatre demonstrates a dedication to exploring the connection between cultural identity and universal human emotion.
His recordings and performances emphasize the voice’s capability to express the breadth of human experience from whisper-like reflections to powerful invocations, all woven with poetic resonance; in his eyes this culture is a source of “ultimate poetry”.