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During a visit to Argentina, Master dantzari and musician-txistulari Patxi Perez taught dance classes and music at various Basque clubs in the province of Buenos Aires and in Patagonia.  After his trip, and having met with various dance groups, Perez was very satisfied with his trip, and has found some things that could be improves and is willing to make a deal.  

Buenos Aires, Argentina. Even if the trip began out as a personal one, and knowing that there were so many Basque dance groups in Argentina, Patxi Perez organized, with the help of Aitor Alava, a tour through some Basque clubs in the province of Buenos Aires and Patagonia.  The tour took him to extreme Patagonia, in the southern province of Santa Cruz, to Comandante Luis Piedra Buena and for almost a month visiting clubs and dance groups in Buenos Aires, Necochea, Bahia Blanca, Bariloche and Comodoro Rivadavia.

Having completed his journey he is very happy with his experience and is very satisfied with how many people in Argentina know what the Basque Country is, although he does have some critiques of what he saw on his trip.  “I am a euskaldunberri, and a lover of the Basque language and one of the things that I saw was the lack of Basque,” he explained to EuskalKultura.com.  “I know that it isn’t easy, it isn’t easy in Iparralde either, but here, especially with the number of Basque clubs that are far from Buenos Aires, I saw a true lack of Basque, and a lack of basic terms like how to say yes or no, or Basque signage in the clubs.”

“In regards to the dances I realize that there is great distance between what is happening today in the Basque Country, and so they continue to only dance very old dances.  For example, not much is known of dances from Iparralde.  In the public dances, they don’t go much further than the Fandango – Arin-Arin.  During this tour I was able to teach some jauzis and Mutxikos that are danced in both Iparralde and Hegoalde.  But I think that teachers from the Basque Country need to come here to teach new things for groups here to perform.  Especially since the dantzaris here are very eager to learn.”

Along with this, Perez is also committed to the clubs that he visited to help them down the road and to progress, especially the most out of the way clubs, where getting materials is always the most difficult.  “I give my word and I will send boxes of materials, CDs from my career; Agorrila so that they can learn songs and new music.  It is my pleasure to help in this way.”

Perez is also considering returning for the next Semana Vasca in Necochea in 2016.  In this case, and nevertheless, the goal of the trip won’t be limited to attending Semana Vasca.  “The next time I would like to come back with my musicians, Patxi eta Konpainia, and continue this tour through clubs teaching dance and music workshops,” the master Basque dancer and musician said.