Life has been an exciting whirlwind of activity for 17-year-old Vanessa Manjarrez since she was crowned Rose Queen for the Tournament of Roses.

Vanessa Manjarrez, 17, of Pasadena, who was crowned Rose Queen today, is of Basque heritage. She is a member of the Basque dance group Gauden Bat of Chino. Manjarrez was one of seven girls selected for the Rose Court from over 900 applicants seeking to represent the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade. She was picked for the top post among [...]

Basque Txalaparta Duo from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

Basque Wine Glass Dance from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

Two longtime Southern California Basque restaurant owners have passed away recently — Jean Irola and Jean Baptiste “J.B.” Sabarots. Jean Irola Jean Irola, longtime owner of the popular Jean’s restaurant in Colton, Calif., passed away April 26. He was 78. Irola continued to run his restaurant up until recently, when he was diagnosed with cancer. The family has kept the [...]

The Gauden Bat dancers helped spread Basque culture this weekend during performances that were well-received by audiences at the Los Angeles County Fair. The Chino-based group, whose name means “Let Us Be One” in Euskera, gave multiple performances on Saturday and Sunday at the fair’s Basque Village. The cultural exhibition was organized by Evelyne Ustarroz, a public relations specialist and [...]

Pilota has been a key part of the Basque cultural fabric in the United States.

Chino Pilota Besta from Euskal Kazeta Basque News on Vimeo.

The $5,000 grand prize would go to the last ticketholder. But there were two numbers left in the ticket drum.

The txalaparta is one of the world’s most unique musical instruments — one in which two people play together creating rhythmic, organic melodies. This art form has been popularized by the Basque Country duo of Harkaitz Martinez de San Vicente and Mikel Ugarte. The two have taken their wooden txalaparta boards around the world. The two musicians recently performed in [...]