Traditional music
With the region's strong cultural identity, it's no surprise to find a world of varied folk music in the Basque Country. One of the region's most striking features is the importance accorded to the voice. With a long oral tradition - some recorded melodies go back as far as the 17th century - the Basque Country is still very much an a cappella country, and Basque choirs enjoy international renown. When they're not purely vocal, traditional songs can be accompanied by the txistu, the famous three-hole flute played with one hand (the other usually playing a percussion instrument).
But the most spectacular Basque tradition is undoubtedly bertsularisme, a sung improvisation in Basque, a veritable pillar of the region's culture. In this art form, which requires great intellectual agility, the improviser, the bertsolari , versifies on an imposed theme, respecting rhythm and melody. As much a social phenomenon as a cultural one, bertso championships - which have been held here since 1935 - can attract spectators numbering in the tens of thousands! This increasingly popular tradition plays a fundamental role in the oral transmission of Basque. One name to watch is Maialen Lujanbio Zugasti, the first woman to win the Bertsolari Txapelketa Nagusia in 2009.
More locally, in Navarre and Rioja, there's a variant of jota known as "jota de l'Ebre". The lyrics of the songs are popular poems that refer to rural life, such as the grape harvest or work in the fields, and the pieces are orchestrated by a rondalla (musical group in folk costumes).
Some artists also keep alive the practice of certain typically Basque instruments, such as the txalaparta, a kind of xylophone played in pairs with vertically held drumsticks, or the trikitixa, a diatonic accordion whose musician Kepa Junkera has become a maestro and a much sought-after name internationally.
In Bilbao, the Basquefest is a four-day celebration of Basque culture, featuring literature, gastronomy, sport and, of course, music. Alternatively, the Mundaka Festival, held in the town of the same name, offers a host of concerts to accompany its gastronomic tastings and workshops. For a closer look at the art of bertsolaris, we recommend a visit to Bilbao's Sala BBK, a former cinema converted into a dynamic cultural platform, or San Sebastian's Doka Kafe Antzokia, one of the city's top artistic venues. On the last Saturday in June, Ondarroa hosts the Zapato Azule (Blue Saturday), a large festival where participants wear traditional blue sailors' jackets and see many bertsolaris.
Classical music
If the French Basque country has produced some fine names in classical music, such as Maurice Ravel (born in Ciboure), the Spanish side has also been the cradle of great composers. These include the eminent Felipe Gorriti (1839-1896); Jesús Guridi (1886-1961), author of the famous Basque zarzuela El caserio; Raimundo Sarriegui (1838-1913), creator of the Marcha de San Sebastián, still performed at the Tamborrada de San Sebastián; and Pablo Sarasate (1844-1908), a virtuoso violinist. Less famous, but just as important, are Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga (1806-1826), nicknamed the Spanish Mozart; José María Usandizaga (1887-1915), considered one of the fathers of Basque opera; and José María Iparraguirre (1820-1881), who wrote Gernikako Arbola, the Basque anthem. More recently, the Basques Carmelo Bernaola and Luis de Pablo, members of the Spanish avant-garde group Generación del 51, and Pablo Sorozábal, one of the most sought-after composers of 20th-century symphonic and operatic music.
As for the lyrical arts, given the region's love of voices, there are of course some big names. Starting with Julián Gayarre, the Navarrese tenor born in Roncal in 1844 (and died in 1890), who went on to perform on the greatest stages (including Paris and La Scala in Milan), and more recently, the great soprano Ainhoa Arteta. The Orfeón Donostiarra, a choir formed in San Sebastián in 1897 with the ambition of preserving and spreading the tradition of Basque song, remains one of the world's most prestigious vocal ensembles.
On the whole, classical music is in good hands in the Basque Country. For example, entities such as the Basque Symphony Orchestra, directed by the young American Robert Treviño, ensure the creation and dissemination of Basque art music. Enjoying an excellent reputation, the Orchestra is at home in the region's finest auditoriums: Palacio Euskalduna, Baluarte and Palais Kursaal. The former, designed by architects Dolores Palacios and Federico Soriano who gave it its industrial soul, is in Bilbao and programs major operas and concerts by the city's symphony orchestra. It also hosts Musika-Música, a prestigious international classical music festival. The second, in Pamplona, is a huge contemporary building (2003) designed by Navarrese architect Francisco Mangado. It offers a number of top-quality concerts and shows, including one by the Navarre Symphony Orchestra. The last, the Palais Kursaal, is in San Sebastián and adopts an artistic line very similar to the two sister venues mentioned above. This is where the Quincena Musical, a major classical music festival founded in 1939 (Spain's oldest), takes place every August.
Popular music
We know it, but we often forget it: Luis Mariano was Basque. And like the famous operetta singer, the region has had a penchant for song for generations. In the 20th century, the icon of the genre's revival was Mikel Laboa (1934-2008), a true patriarch whose album El Diario Vasco is generally considered the best Basque album in history. Under his impetus, an entire scene - which could be described as Basque folk - was born, combining the use of the guitar with the canons of Basque music (and its a cappella harmonies). It was here that composers such as Ruper Ordorika and Benito Lertxundi emerged as the great innovators of local song. Today, Basque song lives with the times and is embodied by mainstream pop stars such as Amaia Montero.
The rock
Since the 1980s, the Basque Country has been fertile ground for rock. Born in a context of economic crisis at the end of Francoism, rock, with its commitment and radicalism, perfectly embraces the spirit of independence (all lyrics are sung in Euskera) and revolt of the Basques of the time. A pioneer among pioneers, the group Hertzainak launched the movement, closely followed by Kortatu. The latter, formed in the 1980s by Fermin Muguruza (a future major musical figure) and his brother Iñigo, blended Basque language, festive music and militancy. It became the symbol of an entire generation. Less committed, more focused on formal research, Itoiz was the other great Basque rock band of the period. These three great entities paved the way for groups that would go on to become important, such as Fito & Fitipaldis, Kaotiko, Gatillazo and Eskorbuto, one of the most influential bands on the Spanish punk scene.
While the Basque Country has no shortage of places to listen to rock, two stand out for their spirit. The first is Zentral, located inside the Santo Domingo market, right in Pamplona's historic center. This is the place to be if you want to enjoy some of the city's best nightlife. The second, Le Bukowski, lives up to its name and has been the epicenter of San Sebastián's underground culture since its creation in the 1980s. A lovely vintage setting and a great program.
The dance
Omnipresent at festivals and celebrations, traditional dances are one of the most important elements of Basque folklore. And while there are as many dances as there are villages in the Basque Country and Navarre, certain traditions can be seen throughout the region. Such is the case of soka-dantza, open-circle dances performed in couples. Traditionally, the dancers form a human chain by holding hands, then turn counter-clockwise. The leader of this chain is called aurresku - a name which, by extension, sometimes refers to the dance itself. At the other end, in last place, is theatzesku, who, like theaurresku , performs most of the dance solos. In fact, it is now common for shows to feature only the dances performed by theaurresku.
Other popular dances include the dantzari dantza from Durango, performed to the sound of the txistu , and the Kaxarranka from Lekeitio, where the dancer performs the choreography perched on a crate. In Rioja, one of the most surprising dances is the Danza de los zancos d'Anguiano, performed perched on 45 cm-high wooden stilts, usually on the occasion of Saint Magdalene's Day. Other good opportunities to watch folk dances include Pamplona's Sanfermines, the Portugalete International Folklore Festival in July and Vitoria's Dantzari Eguna dance championship, a gathering of dancers from all Basque provinces.
