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The Havana Euskal Etxea in Cuba will celebrate its 140th anniversary July 8-16, and will do so with a program of events that includes socializing with members and friends, a performance by Bizkaian musician, Joseba Gotzon, and recently confirmed to EuskalKultura.com, a Basque film series organized by the Traveling Basque Film Series in Buenos Aires. 

Havana, Cuba.   The two oldest active Basque clubs in the world will mark their 140th anniversaries in 2017.  Laurak Bat in Buenos Aires is getting ready to celebrate the entire month of March, the Basque-Navarran Charity Association of Havana, better known as the Cuba Euskal Etxea, will do so July 8-16th, the last day to include a social for club members and friends.

Club sources have confirmed that the basic program is already set, and is making progress, with proposals that will advocate for the Basque culture in Havana, “this is one of main goals: the recuperation in Cuba, where the Basque footprint is the deepest,” club president Renato Garcia Egusquiza said.  This will happen thanks to the club members, but also with the collaboration of members of the Basque Diaspora in other countries, who when they found out about the anniversary, through EuskalKultura.com, they immediately offered their support and help.

Coordinator of the Traveling Basque Film Series in Argentina, Carlos Gabilondo, told our bulletin about his participation in the festivities in Cuba. “Soon we will be at the Euskal Etxea in Cuba with four or five films, that take into account the trajectory of Basque film (1895-2015), and that reveal various testimonials aspects of creativity, recreation of urban and rural life (with films like Enséñame el camino, Ixabel or Amama), with a special emphasis on the Basque Language as a thread of cultural heritage. We will also consider the historic and political reality in Euskal Herria that has been very well represented in films like Behiak, Loreak, Lasa y Zabala and Yoyes, for example.”  Following the tradition of films shown at Basque clubs in Argentina, these will also be accompanied by shorts and discussions after the films.

In regards to the venues for the films, the organizers are hoping to have a room at the Cuban National Cinemateca, in hopes of reaching the general public.  They have reserved some spots for the anniversary events, like the Fine Arts Museum in Havana where Joseba Gotzon will perform and the International Art Building at the same museum.  There will also be events at the provisional clubhouse.

EuskalKultura.com will continue to update information on the events, and the final program.

To email the Euskal Etxea in Cuba, write to: avnb@enet.cu.