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Donostia-San Sebastian.  A brave group of members of London’s Basque Society got together last Saturday and came out to sing traditional songs to Santa Agueda through the streets of London, despite the cold temperatures and intense snowfall.  Armed with the typical makilas, or canes that mark the rhythm of the songs, they made a short tour braving the weather and all in good humor.

In Madrid, the streets in the center of town enjoyed the appearance of the Basque club’s choir and their renditions, some that have become classics, that they sing every year to the saint in such well-known places as the Puerta del Sol or the Plaza Mayor.  This year there was no lack of choir members who enlivened the chilly Madrid night with their songs.  Madrid’s Basque club published several photos from the event along with this video.

Also in the US

There were also activities in several places in the US, like in Boise Idaho, where the first to sing were the kids at the Ikastola, nearly 20 of them between the ages of 2 and 5.  On Monday there was a rehearsal led by students studying Basque who met at Boise’s Basque Museum and Cultural Center to practice the songs and verses that they had learned.  The local Basque community is trying to recover a tradition that had been left behind in recent years.

There was also singing in Gooding, Idaho where the local Basque club took advantage of the day to host its monthly dinner complete with makilas.  Basque clubs in New York and Rhode Island did the same.