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Villa Maria, Argentina. The 2013 Semana Nacional Vasca Argentina, that took place November 8-10 in Villa Maria, came to a close on Sunday afternoon with a huge meal.  Today’s entry is  a general tour of all of the activities that took place this weekend attended by folks from all over the Argentina , as well as other countries in the region, invited by the local Basque club and FEVA the Argentinean Federation of Basque Entities (more pictures tomorrow).

[Besides the usual FEVA meeting, this year’s Semana Vasca also included the first regional meeting of Basque collectivities of South America  with Uruguay, Chile, El Salvador, Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia, Peru and Argentina, along with Basque Government representatives.  Seen here, from left to right, Asier Vallejo, Director for the Basque Community Abroad, Ricardo Basterra, FEVA president, Marian Elorza Basque Government Secretary General of Foreign Action, and Delegate of Euskadi for Argentina and Mercosur, Sara Pagola. (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Saturday's Basque Gala has been a traditional part of Argentinean Semana Vasca meeting for years. This year it was preceeded in Villa Maria’s amphitheater by the Tamborrada from Donostia and tamborreros from various Basque clubs (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The huge amphitheater in Villa Maria was also the site for the Gala on Saturday night that was full of color, eye-catching looks, emotion and good work.  Seen here, the performance by the Ekin dance group from Lizarraenea in Buenos Aires, directed by Aitor Alava (photo EuskalKultural.com)]

[All types of dance were seen at the gala, indicating the richness of Basque culture.  The enthusiasm and pure pride in participating was shared with the rest of the dance groups and Basque clubs present, displaying the fruits of a year’s worth of rehearsals that created an impressive evening with each group contributing a grain of sand, like a puzzle piece, in which each piece counts. Seen here, the dancers from Concordia performing the Carnival of Lantz (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Among many others, the dancers from Euzko Alkartasuna in Macachin performed a colorful version of Katxarranka (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The Union Vasca in Bahia Blanca also contributed, performing the Maskarada Suletina.  The execution of the traditional wine glass dance was greatly applauded and was a faithful reflection of the Diaspora dancer’s contribution to what is developed here, the maintenance and the promotion of the shared cultural heritage (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Reflection of the plural unity of Basques from here and there, music and voiced of groups like Gozategi (from the Basque Country) and Maral (Basque-Argentinean) united to improvise some songs together, at the dances in Villa Maria.  The audience, mainly youth, applauded and joined in the big Basque party that took place last weekend in Villa Maria (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Another moment worth highlighting was the dantzaris parade on Sunday on the Avenida del Libertador San Martin in downtown Villa Maria.  Seen here, the head of the parade that included several hundred dancers from around twenty five Basque clubs (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[An important moment for the participating dantzaris is to prove, even though they are from different clubs and localities, the majority traveling thousands of kilometers, that when it comes time to dance they are all a part of a whole and are capable of dancing as one group various Basque dances.  Under the threat of rain, young dancers from all over the country and neighboring Uruguay were applauded by the audience with live music provided by txistularis and musicians from the different groups (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[In a festive and casual tone, dantzaris and dance groups danced together each having practiced at home, but during the Semana Vasca dancing and playing together and reinforcing the feeling of belonging to the same Basque and Basque-Argentinean community (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[It’s been 10 years since Villa Maria hasn’t seen the dancers national parade and this public expression of Basqueness in its streets.  The Mayor also participated in some of the events (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[Basque clubs from provinces like Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, Córdoba or Buenos Aires or even from Patagonia (Chubut) or Uruguay contributed their dance groups which provided much color to the Semana Vasca in Argentina. Next year it will be in La Plata, hosted by the Euzko Etxea there (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[The joy and festive ambience symbolized by a kalejira, the best expression of what was experienced during Semana Vasca 2013 in Villa Maria.  The city became the colors of the Basque Country last week and did it with double pride, Basque and Argentinean.  Mila esker, Villa Maria (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[As every year the Sunday huge noon meal was the final touch to the Semana Vasca.  During the event awards and recognitions also took place.  We will give a detailed account of it all in new photo chronicles (photo EuskalKultura.com)]

[New entry tomorrow]