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Next Saturday, Gatibu will leave for North America on a concert tour that will take them to various cities in both the US and Mexico.  Their confirmed dates are in NY, Mexico, San Francisco, Chino (NABO Convention) and Washington DC where they will also perform at the huge US Basque event: the Smithsonian Museum’s Folklife Festival.  Gatibu has also told EuskalKultura.com that they will be adding some dates and new concerts in Visalia, CA and maybe in Tijuana, Mexico. 

Donostia-San Sebastian.   The group, Gatibu, will participate in the Folklife Festival dedicated to the Basque Culture at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, without a doubt the event of the summer for the US Basque community.  They will play on July 8, but before this group from Gernika will tour the US and Mexico performing various concerts.

EuskalKultura.com spoke to Haimar Arejita, guitarist in the group, who said that the group was very excited to play for the Basque community both in the US and Mexico.  The experience in the Diaspora is well-known by the group, in fact, Haimar is the nephew of Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, research in Reno who is one of the leading experts in tree carvings left by sheepherders in the aspen tress of the American West.

Many performances will take place at Basque clubs (Mexico, San Francisco, Chino…) and the group is hoping to interact with this special audience: “We expect to meet very nice people, who are proud of the Basque culture, with a touch of “creole” from the US,” he says.

The group has several confirmed dates, but Arejita said that there are more concerts on the way.  Confirmed dates include: NY on June 27; Mexico City (at the Basque club on the 28); San Francisco (Basque Cultural Center), on the 30 and Chino (NABO Convention and Southern California Basque Club's 70th Anniversary) on July 3; and Washington DC at the Folklife Festival on July 8.

Arejita also said that there will be additional concerts in some cities: in Mexico (June 29); Visalia, CA on July 1; a second date in Chino, CA on July 2 and a concert in LA on July 6.  There may also be another one added in Tijuana, Mexico.

More information on Gatibu, here.