Xalbador Gogoratuz: An Evening of Bertsolaritza
October 24 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm PDT
Xalbador Gogoratuz: An Evening of Bertsolaritza
Fifty years ago, we lost Xalbador — the shepherd-poet whose improvised verses about faith, land, and rural life became some of the most beloved in modern Basque literature. This October, we’re honored to co-sponsor an evening built in his memory, and we’d love for you to be part of it.
Join us Saturday, October 24, at the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center, as bertsolaris from both sides of the Atlantic gather to carry his tradition forward. Andoni Egaña and Sebastian Lizaso — two of the most celebrated voices in bertsolaritza today — will perform alongside U.S.-based improvisers Martin Goicoechea, Oier Pastor, and Nerea Eceiza Arregui, with folk singing from Aire Ahizpak and accordionist Sebastien Desgrans rounding out the evening.
The performance runs from 5:00 to 6:30 PM and is free and open to everyone — and yes, as always, real-time English translations will be up on screen, so no Euskara is required to feel the pull of a well-turned verse. For those who want to stay and make an evening of it, a dinner concert follows at 7:30 PM ($70/ticket).
Bertsolaritza has always been about people showing up for each other — an audience trading energy with an improviser, one verse answering the last. If this evening moves you and you find yourself wanting to try it yourself, that’s exactly what our Arnas Berri Bertso Eskola is for: online, welcoming, and open to anyone with a bit of imagination, a sense of humor, and a good memory. Come for Xalbador. Maybe leave curious about the rest.
A live stream will also be available for those who can’t join us in person.