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The Euskal Echea Basque club in Comodoro Rivadavia wil celebrate its 95th anniversary next year, but the festivities have already begun.  2017 continues to be an optimum year for the club that didn’t only gather three hundred guests for its annual dinner, but also welcomed Mikel Ezkerro, as well as the girls from the local Haize Dantzari group who performed a version of “Zinta Dantza” that they had learned online form the Duguna Group in Pamplona.

Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina.   The Euskal Echea Association in Comodoro Rivadavia celebrated its annual dinner on October 28th in the hall at the Galician Center.  The activities actually began the night before with a talk entitled, “The Basque Mystery,” by Mikel Ezkerro.  To welcome the speaker and those present the club’s Lagun Artean choir performed part of its bilingual repertoire.

Dinner

The Basque club hosts a dinner annually in hopes of “gathering club friends,” and playing the host providing them a good dinner and show.  This year, the event was attended by 300 guests including the president of the Etorritakoengatik Basque Club in Puerto Madryn, board members of the Galicia Center, and representatives of the Asturian, Andaluce communities along with the Federation of Communities of Comodoro.  Those that couldn’t attend in person, extended their well-wishes by email, as was the case of the Delegate of Euskadi Sara Pagola.

During dinner, the club’s new queen was crowned, and gifts were presented to coordinators of the groups, there were several raffles, and the club received a donation of two paintings on behalf of the Lecumberri-Oses family.

The dance show was divided into three parts: the first included the txikis and intermediate dancers and the adults danced with makilak.  In the second part, the intermediates performed Lore Arkua and the boys from the Haize Dantzariak group did Dantzari Dantza.  The new dance was performed by the girls.  According to Edu Vergel, reference of the Club, "Maite Baztan Club, dance director found a video of “Zinta Dantza” online performed by the Duguna group in Iruña-Pamplona.  He contacted them and they provided advice on how to practice it and how to perform it as they do."  "That is how we did it, following their advice and the girls even made new costumes, like those that they wear.  They even sent us the music that was recorded in studio.  The choreography was excellent!” he told EuskalKultura.com enthusiastically.

The last part, and to close the show included all the dantzaris who invited the public to join in an “Arin Arin,” and a “Kalejira.”

The Basque community in Comodoro is now getting ready to celebrate the club’s 95th anniversary.  The festivities will coincide with the 5^th meeting of Patagonian Euskal Etxeak next May.  Zorionak, Comodoro!