#solo singing

Bertsolari are improvisational poets and singers in a centuries-old Basque tradition. There are competitions throughout the year, but the big tournament is a four year event, with a final competition in a massive arena. It’s amazing to watch the reactions from the crowd, so different from what is normally thought a “folk music” crowd would be like (check out the wave being started at one point). Basques are particularly proud and protective of their cultural traditions, in part because of the oppression that the community faced during the fascist Franco regime in the middle of the 20th century, which forced many markers of national identity underground. Now, with the Basque Country in Spain allowed some amount of autonomy, the language and customs of the region and its people are flourishing.