Author: beobasque

“I have always heard and have known Basque songs as long as I can remember. Growing up in Boise has been such a privelage to be so immersed in the culture I have always known. I thought I heard and understood it all until I started traveling back to the Basque Country and other states and started experiencing new sounds, instruments, and artworks. I realized the power of Basque music and how it has evolved and influenced so many communites over hundreds of generations. My inspiration for my poem was the vast diversity of Basque music and how it has changed me with every new element I learn. This is a poem that reflects the few of many tools and types of Basque music that I have cherished and remembered througout my life. It is a tale of my own journey through Euskal Musika and how it has made me who I am. Thank you for this opportunity to show my love and gratitude to the music that has raised me and continues to change me.”

“Music has always been a very central part of my life, especially Basque music. I was first exposed to Basque music at the Basque dinners my parents hosted for members of our small, rural Northern Idaho community. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but this was the beginning of my association between Basque music and the community it builds. This initial exposure to Basque music was the catalyst that encouraged me to get more involved in my culture and heritage through learning the accordion and joining Boise’s Basque accordion and pandero band, participating in Basque dancing, and traveling abroad and making international connections with others through music at festivals. Looking back, I can see just how present and impactful Basque music has been throughout my life. It has taken me on a journey full of life-changing adventures and experiences, but most importantly, it has allowed me to connect with so many wonderful people, from strangers to family and friends. That is the power of music, the power to bring us together and forget about our differences. And that is why music is the essence, the soul, of the Basque community.”