Mikel Laboa

Mikel Laboa Mancisidor (15 June 1934 – 1 December 2008) was one of the Basque Country's most important singer-songwriters. Considered the patriarch of Basque music, his music has had an influence on younger generations. A testament to this is the tribute album Txerokee, Mikel Laboaren Kantak ("Cherokee: Songs of Mikel Laboa"), published in 1991 by various younger-generation rock and folk music groups. His album Bat-Hiru ("One-Three") was chosen in a reader poll by the local Diario Vasco newspaper as the greatest Basque album in history. Nearly all of his songs are sung in Basque.