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Madrid, Spain.  Basque enjoyed an unusually prominent position this week in Madrid, thanks to the tribute organized by Euskaltzaindia, the Etxepare Basque Institute and the Basque Royal Society of Friends of the Country.  Without a doubt, one of the most significant moments of the event took place on Wednesday, with an official reception held at the headquarters of the Royal Spanish Language Academy.  The Basque delegation present was lead by Andres Urrutia, President of Euskaltzaindia (the Academy of the Basque Language) and Aizpea Goenaga, Director of the Etxepare Basque Institute.  The Basque Government’s Minister of Culture, Blanca Urgell, was also expected to attend but because of problems with her flight, was not able to do so. 

In her place, Aizpea Goenaga addressed the crowd, attesting to the survival of Euskera, according to her, thanks to the capacity of the Basque society to adapt to new times.  Goenaga added that “in order to appreciate something, you have to know it,” asking for air time for the Basque language, on Spanish public TV and radio. 

On his part, the president of Euskaltzaindia, Andres Urrutia, noted how appropriate it was to honor Basque academic Henrike Knörr, during the conference, since he was, according to Urrutia, "a strong supporter of cooperation between languages ​​and cultures.”

The debut of “At!” in Madrid

In addition to the official event, there were also several cultural happenings that took place, such as the round table that took place on Wednesday, with four Basque female writers —Mariasun Landa, Arantxa Urretabizkaia, Eider Rodriguez and Miren Agur Meabe— who reflected on creation in Euskadi.  One of the more prominent events was on Thursday with a poetic-musical recital, “Katuak eta paradisua” (Cats and Paradise), by writer Bernardo Atxaga, and musician Ruper Ordorika.

The tribute to the Basque language will conclude today with the presentation of the show “At!” at the Círculo de Bellas Artes.  “At!” a presentation letter from the Etxepare Basque Institute to the Basque society, originally performed in Bilbao, is a show about creation, the Basque language and culture, in which the most prominent Basque artists of the time participated.  The show in Madrid is an adaptation of that work.