euskalkultura.eus

Reno, NV.  The first concert will take place next Sunday afternoon in the Wells Fargo Auditorium in the Knowledge Center located on the University of Nevada, Reno Campus.  The Knowledge Center is a modern intelligent building that houses both the Center for Basque Studies, and the University’s Basque Library.  Sponsored by USAC, the university entity that has maintained an exchange program since 1982 in Donostia, and its director, Basque-American Carmelo Urza, who among his various merits, was one of the promoters of the sister city relationship between this American city and Donsotia-San Sebastian, and which awarded Reno the Tambor de Oro (Golden Drum) in 1995.

From Reno, the group will travel up the road to San Francisco where the choir will perform a second concert in the Basque Cultural Center’s auditorium in South San Francisco, built by the local Basque community in 1982 that serves as the main headquarters for Basques in the Bay Area.  The Center’s extensive facilities include a successful restaurant, fronton, bleachers and locker rooms, offices, library, auditorium, conference/multipurpose room, various rooms and ample parking.  It also includes a of the Tree of Gernika sapling in its gardens, and a small display of objects and photographs that illustrate the history of Basques in the area. 

According to the trip organizer journalist, Mikel Soro on his blog “The Gaztelupe Choir in the world,” the singing group that will be traveling this time is comprised by Mikel Plazaola, Jesús Irigoien, Jesús Santos, Juan Otermin and José Ramón Otero; second tenors Isidro Bengoetxea, Mikel Aldanondo and Nika Danger; baritones Manuel Arbiza, Bittor Alkorta and José Manuel Soliño; and basses Josean Zubeldia and Jean Marie Carricano; directed by José Javier Etxeberria.

Their repertoire includes traditional Basque songs such as Festara, El menu, Illunabarra, Kanta berri, Sagarraren, Ume eder bat, Itsasoan laino dago, Jeiki jeiki, Elurra, Boga boga, Maite and Kalinka.  Planned encores include The Road to St. Petersburg, Hegoak, Haurrak and Agur Jaunak.

The group will leave on Monday and will arrive in Los Angles for a bus tour to Las Vegas, a visit to Death Valley, Yosemite, then to Reno where they will return via I-80 to San Francisco, returning on the coastal highway to Los Angeles to return home to the Basque Country on October 14.