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This third installment concludes our series dedicated to the anniversary of the 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.  This initiative by the institution that host this festival in some of the most emblematic places in the city showcased last year the Basque culture, its reality in Europe, as well as the one in America and the work made by Americans of Basque origin to maintain their cultural features and identity. 

Donostia-San Sebastian.   This Monday marked a years since the clausure in the city of Washington DC of the 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a huge annual event that dedicated its 2016 event to the Basques.  One of the particularities of the Smithsonian, is that it is publicly funded institution that carries out this exhibition in an emblematic place in American history and American society such as the National Mall, Washington Monument and US Capital, and iconic image linked to many major events in US and world history. This third installment includes videos of some of the main activities that took place last year; and the last three videos include three concerts that took place as a parallel activity at the Kennedy Center in Washington, starring Basque and Basque American music and singing.

Coming from Navarre, the joaldunak from Ituren paraded around the festival grounds; while under a tent, the Basque-American group 'Amuma Says No' from Boise played (image EuskalKultura.com)

Introduction of the joaldunak from Ituren at the fronton installed at the National Mall (image EuskalKultura.com)

Members of the Gauden Bat Basque Dancers from Chino California teaching a dance workshop under one of the tents (image EuskalKultura.com)

Euskera was also present in various places.  Here the director of HABE’s Euskera Munduan Program teaches a basic workshop on the Basque language (image EuskalKultura.com)

KENNEDY CENTER

These last three videos were recorded by the Kennedy Center in Washington of both concerts by Californian NOKA and the Biotzetik Basque Choir from Boise, as well as Klapperrtarrak-Aukeran (from the Basque Country) in its auditorium, as a parallel activity to the events on the National Mall. 

NOKA a trio from California shared the stage with Mikel Markez who has been collaborating with them for the last few years

This is the Biotzetik Choir who travelled from Boise, Idaho to participate in the event.

From Bizkaia, Klaperttarrak taldea accompanied this time by dancers from Aukeran.