The following articles are written by Guests of Buber's Basque Page. They represent various aspects of the Basque culture, from history to travel, from personal experience to scientific research. If anyone would like to contribute an article as a Guest of Buber's Basque Page, please contact me.

The new millennium in Basque music -- a decade of delights by David C. Cox, Oct 21, 2009 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.

Mikel Laboa: First notes for a march... by David C. Cox, May 02, 2009 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.

Symphonic Variations on a Basque Theme: The story of the great Basque composers by David C. Cox, Jan 21, 2008 The Basque Country is known for its music. Whether the unique instruments -- such as the alboka, txalaparta, or txistu -- that are the foundation of Basque folk music, or punk and rock bands exemplified by Negu Gorriak and Kortatu, music is definitely a cornerstone of Basque culture. However, the Basques also have a very strong tradition in classical music and some very successful composers have come from the Basque region, including Juan Crisotomo de Arriaga and, perhaps the most famous, Maurice Ravel. David Cox, a frequent contributor to Buber's Basque Page, returns with an overview of the most influential and prominent Basque composers.

Coins of Euskal Herria by Erik V. McCrea, Nov 11, 2006 Numismatism refers to the study of coins and payment. Erik McCrea is a numismatist, specializing in coins belonging to non-official groups that issue coins. That is, he collects coins from political parties and micro-nations, or nations without official status. In his article Coins of Euskal Herria, Erik describes some coins he found that were issued by Herri Batasuna, a political party of Euskadi. To put the coins in perspective, Erik gives a very detailed introduction to modern Basque history. He then describes the handful of coins that were issued by Herri Batasuna.

Say It Out Loud! by David C. Cox, Jul 22, 2006 Frequent contributor David Cox returns to one of his passions: music. This month, David introduces the seminal Basque rock band, Negu Gorriak. David gives some context about the formation of Negu Gorriak and their songs. He also discusses the evolution of Negu Gorriak, especially how their songs began addressing global issues such as imperialism and poverty. Negu Gorriak is one of the most important Basque rock bands and David gives us a nice overview of their career.

The Basques of Saint Pierre and Miquelon by Marc Cormier, April 30, 2006 When you consider the Basque webmasters, Marc Cormier stands out as one of the originals. He has been promoting the Basque culture that is unique to the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon from the beginning of the internet. The Basque associations of the islands are approaching two very important anniversaries: the 25th anniversary of their festival as well as the 100th anniversary of their Fronton. In this article, Marc introduces us to the Basques of these islands and tells us about the upcoming celebration.

Euskadi by Bus by David C. Cox, Oct 30, 2005 David Cox, a previous contributer to Buber's Basque Page, recently travelled to Euskadi with his family, including his two young children. While not Basque himself, David has a deep affinity to the Basque Country. In this Guest Column, Euskadi by Bus, David describes his family's visit, including getting around by bus, finding Basque speakers, and visiting some wonderful sites.

Review of Obabakoak by David C. Cox, Apr 1, 2005 While Basque is a very old language with an unknown origin, as a written language, Basque is relatively new. Thus, there isn't a great body of literature written in Basque. Of the books written in Basque, very few make their way to international recognition. One of the most interesting and widely recognized books, first published in Euskara in 1989, Obabakoak was Bernardo Atxaga's first international success. David Cox contributes a Review of Obabakoak.

A Short Guide to the New Basque Music by David C. Cox, Mar 1, 2005 When most people think about Basque music, they often think of the trikitixa -- the accordian and tambourine -- which plays such an important part of traditional Basque music. You can't go to any festival, either in the Basque Country or outside, without hearing that familiar sound. However, modern Basque music is much more than the trikitixa. It encompasses all modern forms of music, from classical and jazz to punk, heavy metal and ska. Often, these modern forms incorporate traditional sounds, such as the txalaparta and alboka. David Cox contributes a Guest Column about the Basque interpretation of various music styles in his A Short Guide to the New Basque Music.

The Great Running Traditions of the Basques by Andy Milroy, Feb 1, 2005 Anyone who has visited the Basque Country, especially the rural areas, can't help but notice the important role sport plays in the lives of the Basque people. Some sports are famous all over the world, such as Jai Alai. Others, such as wood chopping and stone lifting, are familiar to those who frequent Basque fiestas. As these sports demonstrate, Basque sports in the rural areas emphasize strength and endurance, traits that were crucial in the caserio. Basques have become known for their skill in endurance sports, epitomized by Miguel Indurain and his cycling career. It would seem that running sports would also be a natural for the Basques and, indeed, they are. Andy Milroy, a historian of ultradistance running, introduces us to the long history of Basque running in this article.

Euskaldunak: A Quest for Identity by Elizabeth Ihidoy, Jan 2, 2005 Elizabeth asks the questions that the children of all immigrants face: What does it mean to be Basque? What was my father telling me through all those stories over the years? Most of all, as a person of Basque descent, who am I?

Epa! Que Chebere - Cardenas crowns Covatilla by Martin Hardie, Nov 26, 2004 Martin discusses Cafe-Baque, one of the Basque bicycling teams. A constant source of some of the great Basque riders, Cafe-Baque is trying to become a pro team in their own right.

Things are Changing by Blas Pedro Uberuaga, August 23, 2004 In July 2004, I visited family in the Basque Country. I saw a lot of things that were changing since the last time I was there...

Preface to The Lords of Navarre by Jose Mari Lacambra-Loizu, June 24, 2004 Jose's historical novel follows the history of a Basque family from the Ice Age to the present day. His preface to the novel gives some background on the origins of the Basques, as they are currently understood. He also explains his motivation for writing the novel.

The Orange Tide by Martin Hardie, May 08, 2004 Martin tells us about the Orange Tide, that amazing outpouring of Basque identity at with the Tour de France. He speculates about the origin of the Tide and the fortunes of Basque riders in the Tour.

A Basque-American's Reaction to March 11 by Blas Pedro Uberuaga, Apr 11, 2004 Blas, from the viewpoint of a Basque-American, describes his reaction to the commuter train bombings in Madrid.

A Basque Historian's Dilema by Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, Feb 28, 2004 Joxe, a professor of Basque-American history at the University of Nevada, Reno, gives an overview of his research interests and, through it, a glimpse into the Basque traditions of the American West as well as the difficulty in finding the history of minorities such as the Basques in the first place.

His Father's House by Blas Pedro Uberuaga, Feb 16, 2004 Blas reminisces on his first visit to the Basque Country and, more specifically, to the house his father was raised in.

This page is part of Buber's Basque Page and is maintained by Blas Uberuaga. Please report any problems or suggestions to Blas. Eskerrik asko!