euskalkultura.eus

Among the Basques in Argentina, who doesn’t know Rocio Basterra, her work and unmistakable commitment for the Basque language and culture, and the enthusiasm she transmits as a teacher?  In the Basque Country many remember her participation as a commentator of the program “Yes we jai,” or in "Mihiluze."  This year she was called by Oier Plaza to present his latest documentary.  She spoke to the La Nueva newspaper in Bahia Blanca about this and other subjects in an interview that we provide here.  

Maximiliano Palou/Bahía Blanca, Argentina.  Rocio Basterra defines herself as a militant for the Basque Culture, and as Basque as the face of the documentary 80 Year Ago by the public Basque television to celebrate the creation of the government in this area that is found between France and Spain.

Rocio was born 35 years ago in Viedma.  When she was 18 she moved to Bahia Blanca to study law and where she stayed until last year.

She is now back in Viedma, working in the Prosecutor’s Office in Rio Negro and continues to teach Basque, as she did in Bahia Blanca.

At the beginning of the year, she was in the Basque Country and was interviewed in the Berria newspaper…

-Producer, Oier Plaza, called and told me that after seeing this interview that they were looking for me to host it.  “We are looking for someone to be the face of the documentary,” he said.

Rocio returned to Argentina and started communicating with them via Skype.

-They told me that I met the profile that they were needing.  Their idea was that it had be told by someone with a history of Basque culture and who knew how to speak their language.  They were pleased when they knew I worked in the public sector….and when they found out that I also play pilota, more.

She wasn’t a casual player of pilota: she was a member of the Argentine National Pilota Paleta Team until 2012.  

From June 1-July 1, Rocio traveled to the Basque Country.

-The interview with Fermando Buesa’s daughter (a political leader assassinated by ETA) moved me.  From her place and circumstances she tries to reconstruct peace.  You could see that she was all in.  I was surprised at her calm after what she had been through.

-What do you think about ETA?

-Who is going to like killing people?  But also there has to be emphasis placed on state terrorism and one should be careful before speaking out.  We are a nation and we know that we are such.

The interview with Buesa’s daughter wasn’t the only thing that moved this woman who grew up in the Basque culture and who attributes her commitment to the culture to her grandmother Angelica.

-I was also moved tremendously by the note form the coroner about the graves of people who had been assassinated during the Spanish Civil War, Pako Etxeberria (who also participated in the exhuming of the remains of the Chilean singer, Victor Jara and former Chilean President, Salvador Allende).  When I saw the bones I thought ‘this was a person’ and I was also very moved to see an abarca (Basque traditional shoe).  It is significant because it represents all the work done in the countryside.  And it also moved me when I found out that there had also been executions in my grandfather’s town.

The work wasn’t easy.  She recorded from 7am until the evening hours and afterwards prepared for the next day.  But she didn’t mind…

-Imagine…being part of this documentary…

Rocio is Basque.  There is no doubt.  But just in case:

“Being in the Basque Country I woke up the same way as in Viedma: with the secure feeling of being at home.”

Songs and Stew

“Being with family.”  Rocio says that in Viedma there weren’t many opportunities to approach the Basque culture other than what she lived at home.  For her stew was a way to be close.  “Chilindron is lamb stew.  It is my favorite dish and for me it signifies being with family.”  She also mentioned apple pie, rice pudding, cheese and quince jelly and bread with chocolate.  And the songs that they used to sing at Christmas, New Years and for birthdays. 

"The grandmother and the flag."  One of her childhood memories, Rocio tells the story that her grandmother Angelica wouldn’t let them be in the parade.  “She dressed all the children of the family and those of Basque friends.  For the city’s anniversary of Immigrant Day, I don’t remember which, she didn’t allow us to be in the parade, and we weren’t sure why not.  Over time, I found out because she didn’t want us to parade under the Spanish flag, she said that we had to parade with the Basque flag and have the same place in the parade as any other community.  We are a nation and nobody doubts that.  At home we always spoke about Basque lineage.”

 (Published on 10-23-2013 in La Nueva)