Aia, Gipuzkoa. “His death this morning caught many of us by surprise,” EuskalKultura.com's director Joseba Etxarri, told us. “I didn’t know that they had found cancer a few weeks ago, it wasn’t public. He was a good friend, Euskaltzale, and a worker committed to the Basque culture. We met on several occasions, for example at the Durango Book Fair, as well as the Idazleen Biltzarra in Sara, where he, along with his wife Pat, appeared with their own stand as committed militants. In his case it was the Basque musical heritage that he insisted on recovering, leaving as his legacy a huge repertoire of recordings of pieces by classic Basque authors that through his stamp Ausart Records - Klasikart, he presented and spread throughout the Basque Country over the last three decades.”
“He was undoubtedly a person committed to his country and culture, from his position and personal history as a Basque-Venezuelan, Basque of the Diaspora. His wife, Pat told us that Juan was not be able to attend a couple of weeks ago the annual Basque-Venezuelan gathering organized by the Simon Bolivar association led by Amaya Zenarutzabeitia, and that he was sorry, but he had heard from friends that it was a complete success.”
“Everyone wondered about his absence on Easter Monday at the Sara Book Fair,” Etxarri continued. “In my case, I had spoken to him personally, without imaging that it may be the last time, at the International Day of the Diaspora held at the Hotel Unanue on September 8th in Donostia. He participated enthusiastically on that day, sharing a meal and conversation with Basques from other places in our diasporic geography and meeting up with old Basque-Venezuelan friends.”
Gogoan Bego, Juan Rekarte, eta eskerrik asko handi bat!
Besarkada handi bat Pat-i, Iona eta Manex-i.
Article by Jose Felix Azurmendi about Juan Rekarte published in our collaborations section.
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