Kortatu was a ska punk band from the Basque Country formed in
Irun in the summer of 1984.
Kortatu was born in the context of the first democracy years in
Spain since 1936. The Spanish constitution was passed in 1978 and the Basque Statute of Autonomy in 1979, despite of a high abstention. Basque nationalism was struggling between the acceptance of the autonomy degree or the fighting for independence (at least, autodetermination). Kortatu had a big significance for the left-wing basque nationalism (which rejected the autonomist project) as precursors of a new wave of music: the ''Radical Basque Rock'' (Rock Radikal Vasco or RRV). They reached a huge influence in basque and Spanish punk, as other bands like La Polla Records, Cicatriz or
Eskorbuto that became famous in the 80's underground scene.