This book, written by Basque Bertsolari Amets Arzallus and refugee Ibrahima Balde, tells the story of Balde’s journey through West Africa in search of his younger brother. While he endured hunger, heat, human trafficking, and torture during his travels, he was still able to embrace the different customs and languages and develop friendships with people who ultimately helped him on his journey despite those adversities. This true story of determination and perseverance eventually lead him to Europe and “is a deeply moving, eye-opening novel that gives voice and a face to the refugee crisis.”
Jeronima Echeverria provides a detailed understanding of why Basque boardinghouses, or “ostatuak,” were created and the importance of their operation to the immigrants who came to the United States. She continues by sharing the history of each geographical location where the various ostatuak operated, providing historical references on locations, owners, boardinghouse layouts, and, where possible, personal recollections from boarders. This book provides a wonderful historical account and research of 500+ ostatuak between 1860 and 1950. The book is available to borrow from our library or available for purchase on Amazon.
By most standards, the Basque National Orchestra is a young symphony since it was formed in 1982. Their music catalogue is vast and rich, but what is a fun and luscious experience is traveling through their Basque Music Collection, a 15-volume discography that reflects Basque musicians and composers of international fame.
While the pandemic may have been the inspiration for the Brucknerian-inspired version of “Agur Jaunak” (click here to listen), Euskadiko Orkestra is the gift that keeps on giving, particularly for those of us who are not able to experience their work in person.
We encourage you to follow their YouTube channel, but also many of their recordings can be found on other digital formats such as iTunes and Amazon Music. In the meantime, to get your feet wet, we dare you to go to their website, pick an album, press PLAY, close your eyes, and take part in all the beautiful journeys so many Basque composers have created for us to enjoy. Happy listening!
Looking for a weekend television binge? Curled up on the couch with a glass of red wine in hand and wondering what to watch? Well, Intimidad (Intimacy) is our BEOpick for that. Starring celebrated Basque actress Itziar Ituño (of Money Heist fame), Intimacy follows the story of Malen Zubiri, vice-mayor of Bilbao, as she navigates the male-dominated world of politics. Sex, intrigue, betrayal, scandal – Intimacy has it all. Yet, at the core, this BEOpick is a window into modern Basque urban life, highlighting the barriers that women everywhere face when standing against oppression.
The eight episodes of Intimacy are currently streaming on Netflix.
Describe the inspiration and content of your entry, and how it relates to the theme of “Resiliency of Basques.”
Whistling against the wind
He was looking for better days, and newer ways He left it all behind: his home, his farm, his mother, his brother and his sisters On a one way ticket flight to the flat lands, the red rough dirt and dry desert air of Nevada Not looking for any trouble but searching for America’s gold along the way
His only belongings were all that he had on him He brought his walking stick to clear the brush and fight for space Step by step, whistling against the wind, his only tracks he left on the forests rims He’d carve a picture on the bark and hope to come back some day
No one was around him for miles, so he would hum to the rhythm of nature’s grace He had his tiny French-English dictionary in his pocket in case he found his way Living how he knows best, following the river upshore to better days The streamline of life and death, both one in the same His voice like a songbird, flying through the desert winds
Which way will it take him next? Will he head towards the smell of the sea? To the cliffs of the San Francisco bay? Or will the sights of the mountain peaks take him away? To Wyoming? To Boise? To Montanas snowy days?
Will he leave the woods and sleep somewhere else tonight? Where the smell of warm leek and potato soup roams through the air and out the kitchen doors Where the strong flavored patxaran puts him to sleep and drown his blues away Where the fresh French bread breaks and crumbles on his plate Where he can taste the sweet cherry jam on top of his Ardi Gasna It is the sweetest bite he has had in days
A boarding house A temporary home, where he can sing his songs with a full belly When, where, and how will he plant his stake? There is no question, he must stay, to leave too soon would not be the Basque way
He will soon walk down many roads, singing songs about the homeland He will work hard everyday He will preserve the old country in his own way When his American wife hands him a sandwich for lunch, he will be confused He’ll want a red glass of wine exactly at noon
He will speak his language to the world despite being hushed away As an immigrant, he will win and lose in America’s game He will sing his songs after dinner, even at the end of a rough day He has traveled many lands to find both the mountains and the sea
Here in California, this country is weird and long, and they have “freeways”? There is no valley as green as Ortzaize, nothing as lush and as humid as the Basque country So he’ll find a pretty and strong woman, raise some babies, and give them both beautiful Basque names This life here and there, they are both one in the same
His one way ticket took him the farthest he’s ever been His one Basque heart, brought with him the strength to carry on He made his village proud, he made his country known, he spoke his language loud and proud He gave us a song to sing
He was my Atautxi The lyrics to my lineage Beñat Orpustan
Sheep in the Fields of Ortzaiae (Ossès), June 2022
“To the wives!” This beautifully written novel opens with a recounting of a story involving this simple wedding toast, a signal to the reader that what follows is a tribute to the strength of women, the power of familial bonds, and the tenacity of the human spirit. Part fiction, part memoir, and part historical account, this Basque author tells the compelling and memorable story of three pivotal matriarchal figures in his family. Told through a series of vivid vignettes spanning countries, decades, and generations, the experiences of the these women are brought to life, evoking the hopes, challenges, successes, heartbreak, and emotions of the immigrant experience. Three Wives’ Tales is a worthwhile, heartfelt novel that honors and celebrates the importance of family and the courage and determination of the human will.
*This book will soon be available in the BEO’s library. Check it out HERE. If you’re not finding it, CLICK HERE to SEND US AN EMAIL and let us know you’re interested in borrowing this book.
The Basque language (Euskara) is unrelated to any other language spoken today. In Euskara, the use of pronouns plays a powerful, crucial role as it relates to gender, societal, and cultural identity.
This book offers a fascinating and insightful exploration of Euskara, as it relates to culture and gender. Begona Echeverria provides an in-depth look at the historical use and evolving marginalization of “noka” (a familiar form of address historically used in speaking to a girl or woman in whom one had konfiantza or trust) in Euskara, and its impact on Basque society and gender as seen through historical, religious, cultural, and folkloric lenses.
Side note: Echeverria is a member of “NOKA”, a Basque-American singing trio, who promote women through songs using “noka”.
