Above: Luhartz and Rafa Iriondo interview. For the Basque band Luhartz, playing for Basque-American audiences is a way to acknowledge the hard work made by local Basque clubs to promote the culture of their homeland. The group, which specializes in Basque dance music, has performed at Basque festivals in San Francisco, Bakersfield, Boise and Reno since first coming to the [...]

Long-time members of the Bay Area’s Basque community sometimes say that it seems just like yesterday when the San Francisco Basque Club was formed, back in 1960. The club has been celebrating its 50th anniversary in a big way this year, with several significant events. In March, the club celebrated with a Bertzolaritza — bringing together expert bertsolaris, including two [...]

Bertsolari Piloto – English subtitles from Txintxua on Vimeo. Above: Pilot for director Asier Altuna’s bertsolari documentary film. Basque filmmaker Asier Altuna has always been moved by the emotion of a bertsolaritza. As the singers compete against each other with their poetic, extemporaneous verses, people in the audience always break down and cry, he says. The experience of seeing grown [...]

Above: Promotional video for the San Francisco Basque Club’s “Bertso Jaialdia” on March 13. For more information, click here. The Basque competitors gather at festivals or among friends to face off in improvised lyrical duels. Each is given a topic, which can be anything from life on the farm to friendship or family. One by one, the singers belt out [...]