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A cultural exchange between the Basque Country and Italy will take a group of young Basque musicians and dantzaris to Rimini tomorrow, where they are the guests of honor at the La Borgata che danza festival dedicate to the popular music and dance.  Participants are youth from popular music schools in Hernani and Oiartzun (Gipuzkoa), along with dantzaris from Leinua Konpainia from Hiriburu, Milafranga and Mugerre (Lapurdi). 

Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa.   Starting tomorrow, and through May 25 a group of young Basque musicians and dantzaris will be ambassadors of the Basque culture in Italy participating in the La borgata che danza, Festival di strada di musiche della tradizione orale.  The trip is part of a cultural exchange that began a year ago, when the association L’uva grisa in the Italian city of Bellaria Igea Marina, visited the Basque Country and the Soinuenea Herri Musikaren Txokoa, the popular music center in Oiartzun.

According to sources at Soinuenea, “at that moment we had the opportunity to enjoy the dances and songs that cheer the celebrations in their region.  Even though they were only with us for a few days, it was enough to create friendships and to establish conversations that have made this exchange possible.”

The second half of this exchange will begin tomorrow with a trip to Italy by a group of young musicians from the popular music schools in Hernani and Oiartzun.  Young dantzaris from the Leinua Konpainia will join them. Leinua Konpainia is a group from Lapurdi that works in Hiriburu, Milafranga and Mugerre on traditional dance, they organized an exchange workshop last year with L’uva grisa.

Complete festival program, here.