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It is not to be missed.  There are few occasions like this one where the Basques can come, share their culture, their reality, past and present, their plans and calling for the future in front of a massive international crowd as this summer in Washington DC.  The numbers estimate that a million people will visit the Fair; with Basques being the only leitmotiv; in front of the Capitol; on a patriotic American date: July 4th when the city collapses, and this year with Basques in the middle.  This is a unique occasion.

Washington DC, USA. It isn't often that institutions such as the Smithsonian propose and address a minority culture, such as the Basques, to feature in one of its main events such as the Folklife Festival.  The idea came together, as the institution noted, and visitors to the 2016  Smithsonian Folklife Festiva will have the chance to explore the unique language and the distinct cultural heritage of the Basque Country.  “Basque: Innovation by Culture” will feature musicians, cooks, artisans, craftsman, professionals and language experts who will explore themes of cultural sustainability, identity and migration. The Festival will host more than 200 participants from the Basque Country (northern Spain and southwestern France) and Americans of Basque descent.

[Let's remember among them artists from the Basque Country like Kepa Junkera and Sorginak, Erramun Martikorena or Mikel Markez (singers and musicians); or groups like Gatibu, Korrontzi and Kalakan (along with Aukeran); or from the US, Amuma Says No (music) and the Biotzetik Choir from Boise, Idaho; Californian dantzaris from the Zazpiak Bat in San Francisco and the Kern Country Basque Club in Bakersfield; Klika (band) from Bakersfield;  Gauden Bat (dance) and Noka (singers) from Chino; Great Basin Basque Dancers from Elko, Nevada; and the Utah-ko Triskalariak (dancers) from Salt Lake City, Utah. And many artisans, sportpersons, chefs and experts in several fields distribuited in the different areas of the Festival]

The Festival will be held Wednesday, June 29, through Monday, July 4, and Thursday, July 7, through Sunday, July 10, outdoors on the National Mall between Fourth and Seventh streets. Admission is free. Festival hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with special evening events beginning at 6:30 p.m. “Basque: Innovation by Culture” is co-sponsored by the Basque Government, Navarre Government and the Regional Governments of Araba, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. The Festival is presented in partnership with the National Park Service.

The Basque are an example of a people that have worked hard to keep ancient tradition, language and culture alive. The Basque constitute one of the oldest communities in Europe, and today nearly 1 million people worldwide speak Basque, or Euskera, formerly an endangered language that is now an example of successful language revitalization. In the Euskaltegia (Speaking Basque) tent, visitors to the Festival will be able to learn some Basque and see the importance of language in Basque identity firsthand.

“The ‘Basque: Innovation by Culture’ program will show what determined language revitalization efforts can accomplish,” said Mary S. Linn, program co-curator. “The Basques took a language that was disappearing and through community activism and public-policy advocacy, have brought Euskera into the schools and into everyday usage. This accomplishment is reflective of the Basques’ culture of innovation.”

Food is an important element of Basque life. In the Ostatua Kitchen tent, chefs from two Basque culinary schools will showcase regional cooking and drinks with cooking demonstrations and workshops. In the Baserria (the farmstead), cheesemakers will share the art of producing the unique cheese of the Basque Country, and visitors will learn how people from a village in Araba process salt from natural springs, using traditional methods to produce environmentally sustainable gourmet salt.

In the Lantegia (the workshop), visitors will meet a master potter and teacher who is a unique practioner of traditional Basque ceramic techniques. In the Portua (the port), boat builders who use traditional methods will demonstrate their skills and build a 26-foot-long boat. “Basque: Innovation by Culture” will also highlight the rich cultural expressions of Basque Americans, featuring dancers, musicians, shepherds, poets and more, who create Basque identity, community and traditions in the United States.

A centerpiece of the Festival is the Frontoia. In Basque communities around the world, a frontoi is both a handball court and functions as the center of community life. As the symbolic center and meeting place for the American people, the National Mall is a fitting location for a frontoi in Washington, D.C. The Folklife Festival Frontoia venue will allow visitors to watch and participate in pilota (handball) and bolo (bowling) lessons and games, sokatira (tug-of-war), lokotz bilzea (corn cob racing), demonstrations of other bertoko kirolak (local Basque sports), music and dance performances, and bertsolaritza (oral poetry contests).

EuskalKultura.com will dedicate daily articles to present different aspects of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2016 and chronicle the events.

EVENING CONCERTS

The “Basque: Innovation by Culture” program will feature four evening concerts. All of them are at 6:30 p.m. on the Ralph Rinzler Concert Stage (there will be more presentations, concerts, performances and workshops part of the festival that we´ll mention in separate articles the next few days)

Wednesday, June 29: Kepa Junkera and Sorginak

Latin Grammy award-winner Kepa Junkera is a master of the trikitixa, the Basque diatonic accordion, and he kicks off the Festival with the all-female group Sorginak, or witches.

Friday, July 1: Noka and Biotzetik Basque Choir

Noka is a trio of Basque American women based in Chino, California. They create traditional Basque music in a contemporary context, specializing in songs about culture, gender and identity. The Boise-based Biotzetik Basque Choir includes native Basques and first- and second-generation Basque Americans and Basqye music lovers who perform both traditional folk songs and sacred music.

Friday, July 8: Kalakan and Gatibu

Kalakan is a trio that reinterprets traditional music using Basque txalaparta, panderoa (tambourine), atabala and more. Gatibu comes from Gernika, creating a wide range of rock and pop music in the Basque language. Led by singer Alex Sardui, the four-piece band has toured around Basque country and Europe since forming in 2002.

Sunday, July 10: Korrontzi (Basque), Low Leaf (California) and TmbaTa (Armenia)

The eight-piece Korrontzi folk band is led by Agus Barandiaran, who plays the trikitixa. Through workshops and performances, the band seeks to elevate Basque traditional music and dance, adding modern instruments and rhythms to make it accessible to a larger public. Representing California is Low Leaf, a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer from Los Angeles. She melds traditional instruments, like harp and piano, with electronics and inspiration from her Filipino heritage to create a freeform approach to music that is all her own. The Armenian youth orchestra TmbaTa from Yereban performs original compositions based on traditional Armenian folk songs combined with rock and experimental music.

SPONSORS

“Basque: Innovation by Culture” is produced by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in partnership with The Basque Country institutions.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will feature two programs. In addition to “Basque: Innovation by Culture,” the second program is “Sounds of California.” The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, inaugurated in 1967, honors contemporary living cultural traditions and celebrates those who practice and sustain them. Produced annually by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the Festival has featured participants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Follow the Festival on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.