What today is commonly called the “Basque Country” (Euskal Herria or Euskadi) is not in fact a sovereign nation but a contiguous region along the Atlantic coast of northwestern Spain and southwestern France. Straddling the western end of the Pyrenee Mountains, Euskal Herria consists of seven provinces: Araba (Alava), Guipuzkoa (Guipuzcoa), Bizkaia (Vizcaya), and Nafarroa (Navarra) in Spain, and Lapurdi (Labourd), Nafarroa Beherea (Basse-Navarre), and Xiberoa (Soule), in France.

The Basques call their language Euskara and themselves Euskaldunak—literally, those who have [speak] Euskara—suggesting the central importance of language in defining the Basques as a cultural and ethnic group. Euskara is unique, bearing no relation to Indo-European languages—or indeed to any other language group. Some scholars have suggested that the Basques, who also share certain genetic characteristics, may descend from the Stone Age inhabitants of the Pyrenees.

Basque migration to North America began in earnest in the mid 19th century, with the discovery of gold in California. Early immigrants were mostly young men, who came hoping to make their fortunes in the New World. The lure of gold was not the only motivation for this migration, however: the inheritance rule of primogeniture, through which the eldest son alone inherited the family land, often left younger sons without adequate means of support. While many of these sought work in coastal communities in Euskal Herria, others came to North America, where they settled almost exclusively in the western United States. When the fabled gold proved elusive, many Basque immigrants instead found work as sheepherders. They were so successful that, later, many Basques came to the region specifically to work in this profession.

Like all immigrants, Basques in the United States reproduced elements of their native culture in their new home—the (Catholic) church, the cemetery, and the pelota (handball) court are often mentioned as being central to community life. Other cultural forms were adapted or even invented to suit a new life in a new setting. Basque boardinghouses, for example, which were established to serve as a “home away from home” for new immigrants, as well as an off-season home for sheepherders, eventually became centers of social life for local Basque communities. More recently, summertime “Basque Picnics” have offered an occasion for community members to gather and enjoy their Basque heritage in the form of food, athletic competitions, music, and dance. Folk dance groups have become a particularly important mechanism for preserving cultural forms and fostering a sense of ethnic identity among young people of Basque descent. According to Nancy Zubiri, author of A Travel Guide to Basque America, most adults now active in the Basque community performed in dance groups as children.

Zazpiak Bat, performing today, is such a group. Their name derives from an expression meaning “seven in one,” which is sometimes used to refer to the seven Basque provinces—and thus to the Basque homeland. Zazpiak Bat presents a program of folk music and dance from Euskal Herria, including dances from each of the Basque provinces. Among the featured dances are

• Uztai Txiki, from Guipuzkoa
• Matelota, from Lapurdi
• Euskaldunak, from Nafarroa
• Beti Alai Arku, a dance adapted by the Basque communities in Argentina
• Baso Dantza, from Xiberoa. In this dance, five performers demonstrate their skills by dancing on and around a glass of wine.

The dancers are accompanied by the accordion, which has been a central instrument in Basque music-making since about the mid 1800s. You will also hear the txistu, a flute-like instrument (held vertically--like a clarinet--instead of horizontally). Traditionally, the txistu is played one-handed, because the txistulari (txistu player) simultaneously plays a small drum (ttun-ttun) with the other hand.

Contact the Artists