A celebrated singer of jota navarra, born in Murillo el Fruto (Navarre) on January 23, 1908. He died in Fuendejalón (Zaragoza) on December 31, 1939. It can be said that Lanas created the modern Navarrese jota, refining and perfecting earlier versions, discarding the ronda styles, and composing new ones that quickly gained fame. For this reason, he remains the mythical and steadfast figure of the jotero.
He spent his childhood in his hometown, attending school and herding cattle. After suffering from meningitis, which left him lame, he learned the trade of blacksmith, working in Carcastillo, Milagro, Tudela, and elsewhere. It was mainly in Tudela that he caught the attention of jota enthusiasts, guitarists, and singers, thanks to his beautiful voice, his style, and his exceptional vocal talent. He settled in Pamplona, received musical training at “Los Amigos del Arte,” and joined the city’s choir, the Orfeón Pamplonés. Around 1930, he sang old rondalla jotas, recorded a few discs, and, with the help of friends and patrons, learned to accompany himself on the guitar and became familiar with typical styles. Thus prepared, he entered a jota contest in Zaragoza; despite competing against famous singers, he triumphed and earned the nickname El Ruiseñor Navarro (“The Nightingale of Navarre”).
A business impresario whose leading star was Raquel Meller invited Lanas to join the company. He accepted and, dressed in the traditional Navarrese jotero costume—white tro and shirt, red sash and neckerchief, and espadrilles—he debuted in Pamplona to great success, a success that followed him in every city where he performed. Contracted by the Círculo Vasco-Español of Mexico, he sang during the summer of 1935 at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, accompanied by a Navarrese rondalla directed by Arzoz, a musician of Tafalla descent. His triumph was resounding.
He returned to Madrid, where he lived with his wife and two daughters, bringing with him a contract for the following year. However, the Spanish Civil War prevented his return, and he remained in the capital, suffering many hardships and privations that seriously undermined his health. In the summer of 1939, after a trip to La Coruña, he returned to his hometown to recover, but failed to do so. Unable to work for some time, yet longing to resume his artistic life, he set out for Zaragoza in December of that year. He stopped for two days in Arguedas, where, at the of friends and admirers, he sang at the local cinema — it was his last performance. From there he went to stay with relatives in Fuendejalón, where he passed away.
On the initiative of the newspaper El Pensamiento Navarro of Pamplona, and with the help of Los Amigos del Arte, the municipalities of Tudela and Tafalla, and the authorities of Navarre, the remains of Raimundo Lanas were brought back to his homeland. On May 15, 1949, they were buried in the cemetery of Murillo el Fruto, beneath a simple mausoleum designed by the sculptor Ulibarrena.
Many of the jotas performed by Lanas were his own creations; he revived forgotten ones and established new styles. His wide vocal range and the purity of his trills earned him, quite rightly, the name El Ruiseñor Navarro. The songs that brought him great fame included Y voy por la carretera, La hiedra, Lagunera, Las cadenas, and Dice que me ha de matar. Most of these appear on the record Vasconia, un pueblo que canta [Regal, 33 1/3 r.p.m.]. He recorded numerous discs that are still carefully preserved by broadcasters and private collectors.
In October 1977, in San Sebastián, before an audience of five thousand people, he was honored in a tribute. A few days later, the jota singers from that festival went to Murillo el Fruto and sang before his grave in an atmosphere of deep emotion. Before that cold stone, a warm and pure voice intoned his favorite jota, the one that, in its simplicity—along with La hiedra—had brought him fame:
“I take my stick and my cart and go along the road.
There’s no inn I don’t stop at, nor woman who doesn’t love me.”