Invited by the organization, the Basque musician and composer from Hondarribia participated as a workshop leader in the “Madryn Canto” 2016. During the festival’s inauguration, members of the local Etorritakoengatik Basque Club surprised the Maestro with an Aurresku. During his stay in Argentina, Maestro Busto gathered in Buenos Aires with members of the Lagun Onak Choir. He presented them with “Urrundik Usoa” (Distant Dove), a song with his own arrangements, on this his third trip to the country.
Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Organized by the local choir, Municipal Estable, the choir event known as “Madryn Canto” took place on September 22-25. On this, its 18th edition, the festival included the presence of Basque composer Javier Busto, who along with other local musicians, taught a series of workshops on Basque pieces.
Busto explained that the invitation to participate in 'Madryn Canto' came to him because “the director of the Municipal Estable Choir, Diego Lacunza, who is of Basque origin, knew about my music and that is why he consulted with me about the possibility of attending the festival. Since I have been retired from my profession as a doctor for three years, after 37 years of practice, I have much more time to choose my musical destinations.”
The Maestro explained the pieces he worked on with the singers, “we did three Basque songs: Axuri Beltza, Itsaoan laino dago and a lullaby, Haurra egizu lotto, lotto, by Resurrección María de Azkue and music written by me.”
But the Basque ingredients of the festival weren’t limited to the choirs. In fact, the Etorritakoengatik Basque Club also attended the inauguration of “Madryn Canto,” and surprised the Gipuzkoan musician with an Aurresku (tribute dance). In the words of Busto himself, “Members of the Euskal Etxea were nice enough to dance an Aurresku, which made me very emotional. I will keep the neckerchief that they presented me, but above all “nere bihotzean” (in my heart),” he said. Video of the Aurresku, here).
Lagun Onak in Buenos Aires
During the same trip, Maestro Busto also met with the Lagun Onak Choir at Laurak Bat. As he told EuskalKultura.com, “I have been in close contact with Lagun Onak for the last 12 years, and we have worked on Basque music together. On this trip to Argentina, my third, I presented them a gift so they will not forget their Basque roots: Urrundiko usoa, another piece from Azkue’s songbook with my music.”
The choir members from Lagun Onak were very happy about his visit, “for the gift and because along with his gift he also shared his knowledge and joy with us.”
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