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It is interesting to compare the role that music plays among peoples who are considered national minorities.
Given the obvious commonality of interest, it’s surprising how few of these links are easily uncovered. Basques have survived because of their historical cultural isolation, which is now changing. The situation of being outnumbered in one’s own land, or of seeking greater political jurisdiction, is one shared by hundreds of peoples worldwide. These links are often expressed in popular music – one of the key vehicles for the transmission of culture.
Since the 60s many Basques have realized how important it is to sing in their own language and to play their own traditional music and instruments. And many musicians who are speakers of lesser-used languages have done the same.
The most obvious links for Basque musicians are those within Western Europe and North Africa as well as those with Quebecers and aboriginal peoples in North America.
QUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INSTITUTE cordially invites you to a recital by
Amaya Arberas, Soprano
accompanied by
Antón Armendariz, Tenor
Ana Ruth Bermúdez, Cello
&
David Shenton, Piano
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
Amaya Arberas began her professional career in 2002, performing recitals throughout her native Basque Country as a lyric coloratura soprano. She has studied musical language and piano at the San Sebastián High School of Music and Ancient Music at the University of Salamanca, where she also received her Master’s in Social Work. During 2006 she performed in numerous recitals commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, as well as in a recital of opera and zarzuela in San Sebastián and in Segovia. Amaya came to New York in 2005 to take classes in song, repertoire and diction with eminent teachers such as Dodi Protero, Diana Soviero, Beth Roberts and Joan Dornemann. In 2007 she was selected by the prestigious IVAI (International Vocal Arts Institute) as an active member to collaborate on various projects in operas. She has also performed several concerts of arias and zarzuelas at Queen Sofía Spanish Institute. Last year the IVAI selected Amaya to participate in numerous opera productions in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She performed as a soloist with the symphonic orchestra of Puerto Rico conducted by Paul Nadler of the New York Metropolitan Opera.
Tenor Anton Armendariz began his career in 2002 in Spain singing in the Coral Santa Maria de la Redonda as the baritone soloist. As the baritone soloist of “RiojaLirica,” he has performed many concerts, recitals and full stage operas, (L’elisir d’amore. Dulcamara; Le nozze di Figaro. Figaro; Don Giovanni. Leporello; Don Pascuale. Don Pascuale). He is currently the soloist of the Coro Sinfónico de La Rioja, in Logroño (north Spain). In 2008, after several master classes he discovered he was a tenor, and has been working to solidify this new register. Since his debut as an opera singer he has always been recognized for his powerful and visceral acting. He has been noted for his clear and bright voice and also for his natural musicality and his purity of tone. After the concert “El vino en la opera” local newspaper La Rioja said of him “He played the two difficult parts of Macbeth brindisi, and Duet Nemorino-Dulcamara with knowledge and good technique making a brilliant performing”. All media in his area of working emphasizes his style warm voice and zealous in his singing. He studies a wide range of the barroco arias and Spanish zarzuela and Spanish camera music (Lorca, Montselvatge, Falla, Chueca, Chapi…). He currently studies with Beth Roberts and Christian Sebek in New York City.
Ana Ruth Bermúadez. A sought-after soloist, recitalist and pedagogue, she studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow and graduated in Cello Performance from Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music and the Instituto Superior de Arte de La Habana, Cuba. Her solo and chamber music appearances have led her to play in Cuba, Russia, Spain, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, England, and in the USA, where she has resided since 2000. In addition to her several recordings of contemporary music, she has recorded for television, theater, radio and cinema in Cuba, Spain, Venezuela, and USA. Among others, she has played with the Moscow International Orchestra, and the Havana Chamber Orchestra, of which she was artistic director from 1991 to 1993. She founded and is a member of the Duo Roldán, with Cuban guitarist René Izquierdo.
A committed teacher, Ana R. Bermúdez taught at Escuela Nacional de Música and at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba, and at the Simon Bolivar Conservatory of Music and the Instituto Universitario de Estudios Musicales in Caracas, Venezuela. Currently, she teaches at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and at Alverno College, and is a member of the Skylight Opera Theater.
David Shenton has established an enviable reputation as a pianist, composer, violinist and arranger. He is the composer of 5 musicals (Tart, Barsong, Creole Nights, Anna the Storyteller and Avarice), all of which have premièred in New York. He is also the composer of more than 120 original works including everything from short piano pieces to full scale orchestral works (David composed his first piece, Grande Valse for Piano, at age 9 and his first symphony at age 12). Equally at home on the violin or the piano, David performed his first violin concerto (Bach E major) with orchestra at age 14 and his first piano concerto (Chopin F minor) at age 15. From 1993 to 1997 David studied at the Royal College of Music in London, from which he graduated with highest honors.
David Cox is a frequent contributor to Buber’s Basque Page. Today marks his first article in a new column entitled Altxor Bila (Looking for Treasure), inspired by a Pirritx eta Porrotx song. This series will examine various aspects of Basque music, from current bands to musical history. Ongi Etorri David!
A few years ago, I got an e-mail from one Johannes of Pforzheim, Germany, asking whether I knew of any musicians from the city of Gernika, Bizkaia. He and his class were planning to visit their twinned city, and he was working on a project and looking for contacts or help.
As it happened I had spent a little time in Gernika, and knew of two great bands with roots in that city: Gatibu and Ken Zazpi, two of the most dynamic groups working in the Basque Country today and singing in Euskera, and was able to point him in this direction.
Gernika-Lumo, as it is officially known, is at the head of the Mundaka estuary and the centre of the geographically significant Urdaibai region. It has a famous farmers’market and, across the railway tracks, large blocks of industrial land. Most importantly, it has the sacred oak tree and the parliament house. This city, which is known around the world and honoured by all Basques, has a prominence all out of proportion to its size. It also has a proud musical history.
Jose Antonio Alcayaga III just posted this link on Facebook and it seemed like a great one to share. Badok has a relatively large selection of Basque music available for online listening and I understand that songs can be downloaded in mp3 format.
This seems like a great way to explore Basque music. It looks like there is a large range of styles, from folk like Oskorri to metal bands such as Su Ta Gar. And the artists seem to span a range of time, including classics from Kortatu. Not everything is on here, as I don’t see any Negu Gorriak for example, but there is still a large number of groups to explore.
Euskal Musika, (Basque-language pop, rock and folk) has flourished for four decades, but the past 10 years have seen a musical and lyrical maturing. With the end of the era dominated by Negu Gorriak, Hertzainak and Itoiz, Basque music searched for a new touchstone identity and came up with a multitude of them. In this Guest Column, David Cox examines Basque music of the last decade and offers his top ten list of the very best.
Those who have visited Buber’s Basque Page in the past know of David Cox’s passion for Basque music. He has contributed a number of Guest Columns focused on various aspects of Basque music in the past. This article touches on some of the best music the Basque Country has to offer. David has found several links to YouTube videos that showcase some of the very best. This article is a great starting place to sample the richness and variety of Basque music.
I just saw this on Google Alerts and thought it was great. Whiskey Daredevils, a band out of Cleveland, I think, just toured Europe and their last show was opening for Berri Txarrak in Bilbao. They posted about their last show in Bilbao, which was a while ago in May, on the Cleveland Scene website and their experiences with the crowd and opening for what is a huge band in the Basque Country. This is a great read! Sounds like they had a blast, but at the same time the expectations were so big that the guy who did the post, Greg Miller (who I think is the lead singer), describes how he had butterflies for the first time in years and how pumped everyone was. Like I said, well worth the read. Not much specifically about the Basque Country, but it is does describe the experiences of a smaller US band touring in Europe and Euskal Herria, which is pretty neat. And their music is pretty cool too.
One of the pioneers of modern Basque music, Mikel Laboa, recently died (Dec 1, 2008). Beginning in the 1960s, Laboa was a cornerstone of much that followed, from the rediscovery of traditional Basque instruments such as the alboka and the txalaparta to influencing even some of the hard rock and heavy metal bands that the Basque Country is now quite known for. In this Guest Column, frequent contributor David Cox gives a retrospective of both Laboa’s work as well as his place in Basque culture.
I’ve been meaning to share this set of links for a while and just thought I’d “dump” them on you before I either forget or they get outdated.
Last.fm, an online music station of sorts, has a channel dedicated to Kortatu and similar artists. I haven’t spent a lot of time with it yet, but if you are looking for some classic Basque rock, tune in here.
OK, this one I’m not sure what to make of… the concept looks intriguing, but I don’t think I understand it well enough. Baskinbox seems to be a Basque gift box, with information about food, hotels, recreation, etc. But, I’m not quite sure what is actually included in the box. Can anyone help me out?
Aimee Eiguren, a very distant cousin of mine on my mom’s side, has a blog of her own, Bowl of Soul. In her most recent post, she describes her first trip to Euskadi to visit the homes of her ancestors and shares a great recipe for Basque Omelette.
NABO, the North American Basque Organization, tries to help the various Basque clubs in efforts that are too big for any individual club. This includes organizing summer camps for kids, hosting the national Mus championship, and much more. On this page, they describe the ongoing effort to create a Basque Studies Consortium, the goal of which is to create a clearing house, of sorts, for Basque Studies, a place people can go and see what the most recent research in areas related to the Basques has uncovered.
The Nevada State Museum recently installed a 1902 Sheepherders Wagon, built for the Campbell Ranch. According to the site, the first-ever sheepherders wagon was built by James Candlish of Wyoming in 1884, and it soon was adopted by sheepherders all over the American West.
Continuing the historical theme, this article in the Idaho Statesman describes the early history of the Basques in Boise, Idaho. It focuses on their involvement in the restaurant and hotel businesses. In particular, they quote an 1893 Stateman article that reported that “Yturraspe & Uberuaga will on Monday, January 1st, take charge of the City Restaurant and lodging house, which they have purchased from Russ Luark.”
This site, which gives a number of images on bordering of different styles, also has a page dedicated to Basque bordering. I’m not sure how useful these images or these pages would be for one doing this kind of work, but maybe in the least these patterns will inspire.
An interesting little diversion, using a pattern you can download for free from this site, you can create a simple three-dimensional dodecahedron calendar in a number of languages, including Euskara.
The Taller de Artesania Lorratz has a great gallery of images, including paintings, drawings and mosaics. The drawings, in particular, are of Basque buildings, with baserriak, churches, castles, and even a windmill. The images are accompanied by the name and location of the building. There are also some children’s arts and crafts images.
And, finally, for this update at least, NABO recently welcomed a new member to its fold. Euskaldunak: Association des Basques du Quebec is the latest club to both become part of NABO and put a presence on the web. The page, in both French and Euskara, seems to be still a work in progress, but there are photos and announcements regarding the group’s recent events. Zorionak!
I had never heard of the txalaparta before my first visit to Euskadi in 1991, even though I was semi-active in Basque dancing and attended many festivals in the US. In fact, I only learned about it once a friend of mine, Mikel Lopategi, who was also in Euskadi at the same time, had learned about it and was trying to build his own. What little I had heard fascinated me. I thought the music was great and the concept even better. But, even my dad, having grown up in Munitibar, had never heard about it.
I went back in 1996 and visited a music store in Bilbao, asking for a compilcation or anything of txalaparta music. Even then, the person working there couldn’t find anything. Txalaparta was something old, maybe ancient, but which was still so new that no one knew anything about it.
That has changed in more recent years. A number of popular Basque musicians, such as Kepa Junkera, have incorporated txalaparta in their music. Even more impressive, there are now professional txalaparta duos who have released their own music. When I was in Seattle, we had the honor of hosting the Ugarte Anaiak, a brother duo who pushed the boundaries of the txalaparta by using stone and metal in addition to the traditional wood to make their sounds.
Maybe one of the most well known efforts is Oreka Tx. They are featured in an article appearing on Spinner. The article includes some samples of their music and discusses their most recent project, Nomadik Tx, their effort to bring Basque music and the txalaparta to other parts of the world. Well worth a read!
By the way, here is a video of Ugarte Anaiak, from YouTube. I couldn’t find a website for them in particular. Does anyone know of one?
Interviews with Basque personalities. The most recent interview is with
Delphine Pontvieux,
author and self-publisher of ETA, Estimated Time of Arrest!
This page is part of Buber's Basque Page and is maintained by Blas Uberuaga
(blas@buber.net).
Please report any problems or suggestions to Blas.
Eskerrik asko!
Euskal Musika, (Basque-language pop, rock and folk) has flourished for four decades, but the past 10 years have seen a musical and lyrical maturing. With the end of the era dominated by Negu Gorriak, Hertzainak and Itoiz, Basque music searched for a new touchstone identity and came up with a multitude of them. In 
I just saw this on Google Alerts and thought it was great. 
One of the pioneers of modern Basque music, Mikel Laboa, recently died (Dec 1, 2008). Beginning in the 1960s, Laboa was a cornerstone of much that followed, from the rediscovery of traditional Basque instruments such as the alboka and the txalaparta to influencing even some of the hard rock and heavy metal bands that the Basque Country is now quite known for. In 
I had never heard of the txalaparta before my first visit to Euskadi in 1991, even though I was semi-active in Basque dancing and attended many festivals in the US. In fact, I only learned about it once a friend of mine, Mikel Lopategi, who was also in Euskadi at the same time, had learned about it and was trying to build his own. What little I had heard fascinated me. I thought the music was great and the concept even better. But, even my dad, having grown up in Munitibar, had never heard about it.
