Full English Text Below
Euskara
Testu hau ingelesez idatzita dago, bihotzetik zuzenean, itzulpenaren beharrik gabe.
Nire euskara oraindik heltzen ari da, baina erritmoan.
Ez da azalpen bat. Opari bat da. Eskerrik asko egiaz jasotzeagatik.
Castellano
Este texto está escrito en inglés, porque es donde mi corazón se expresa sin buscar aprobación.
Mi euskera y mi castellano siguen llegando, poco a poco, como el ritmo del mar.
No es una traducción. Es un regalo. Gracias por recibirlo como es: imperfecto, presente, real.
🎙️ Modus Operandi and the Power of Starting Again
By Scott Zuñiga (@kaixoscott)
“To begin again is not a weakness—it’s a form of mythic courage.”
A few months ago, I had the honor of sitting down for a live interview with Iñaki Ortiz de Villalba of Modus Operandi, a band whose name already carries the essence of movement, transformation, and process. I've been learning Euskara for a year and a half. And like most language journeys, it hasn’t been linear. I attend an euskaltegi, but truthfully? The engine of my progress has been conversation. TikTok, Instagram, voice messages with strangers turned guides. Every night, I speak Euskara with someone new. That daily practice has become its own ritual.
Like myself, Iñaki has perfect his own Euskara with music. As a musician, I’ve leaned hard on music to strengthen my ear and rhythm in Euskara. There’s something sacred about listening to a language sung before you can understand it. Your heart learns the tones before your brain learns the words.
Starting Over: Iñaki’s Journey
Iñaki, used to be the frontman for Betagarri, one of the most iconic Basque ska bands in history. To step away from that and start a new band—from scratch—is not something most people have the guts to do.
I asked him directly:
“What was it like to leave behind that legacy and begin again? Was it more exciting or terrifying?”
He didn’t hesitate:
“It was exhilarating. Starting a new project always comes with emotion. Of course, people compare it to Betagarri, but I see Modus Operandi as something totally new. A new moment, a new identity.”
I can relate.
So often we are afraid to let go of who we were, even if we’ve outgrown it. Iñaki reminded me that reinvention is not betrayal. It’s evolution.
Why “Modus Operandi”?
I asked them: Why that name?
The answer was as philosophical as it was poetic.
“We each have our own way of doing things. That’s what modus operandi means. We wanted to find a new one—together.”
There’s power in naming things. Power in claiming your method. And even more in doing that publicly, as a collective.
They also emphasized the value of small beginnings.
“We played 5 concerts our first year. Just 5. But that was enough to fuel us. To know we had something.”
No rush. No pressure to prove anything.
Just the joy of playing again. And that joy is contagious.
Music as a Message
Modus Operandi’s music isn’t just sound. It’s story. It’s stance. Their lyrics touch on politics, identity, and the emotional architecture of our times.
“When you come from Betagarri, people expect certain things,” Iñaki admitted. “But with Modus Operandi, we explore other parts of ourselves. We’re not trying to recreate the past.”
That matters to me. As someone who is reweaving his identity in a new land, in a new tongue, I know the power of a single word.
A Basque word spoken with care can be a form of magic. A homecoming.
Iñaki says it himself, ¨When it comes to Basque, the idea isn’t to speak perfectly, but just to speak!”
Final Reflections: The Courage to Start Again
I left that interview with a deep sense of alignment.
Modus Operandi isn’t just a band—it’s a metaphor. For reinvention. For integrity. For choosing to begin again without apology.
That’s what I’m doing with my life here in Euskal Herria. With every video I post, every Euskara word I stumble through, every interview I say yes to before I feel “ready.”
Because ready is a myth.
What’s real is rhythm. What’s real is movement. What’s real is the courage to play even when the notes aren’t perfect.
🎧 If You’re New to Modus Operandi…
Here are three tracks I recommend to feel their spirit:
“This is the Fiesta” - English and Basque the gives foreigners a nice intro to Euskal Herria.
“Gora Gure Bihotzak”
“Dantza Gaitezen Hil Arte”
You can follow them on Instagram or listen on your favorite platform.
Follow my journey on TikTok and Instagram: [@kaixoscott]
To support this work, share this post or leave a comment.
Gora Modus Operandi. Gora Euskara. Gora zu.
I chose to release these interviews uncut for two reasons.
First, because perfection was becoming a gate instead of a gift.
Second, because I realized: the rhythm of the conversation is just as vital as the content.
In trying to trim them down—to match the illusion of the distracted, time-starved listener—I was unknowingly slowing everything down.
The offerings began to feel like tasks instead of what they truly are:
a devotion to Euskara,
a return-gift to the language and the artists who live inside it.
And the more I’ve learned about the Basque Country, about Euskaldunak—
the more I understand:
Speed doesn’t matter here.
Authenticity does. Recognition does. Remembrance does.
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