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History and development
At the end of the 20th century, whilst everywhere else in Europe sung and
versified improvisation had disappeared or was tending to disappear (even if
in some places this tradition remains well alive), the Basque Country seems
to be the only part of Europe where this popular art attracts several
thousand people.
The improvisers Txirrita, Gaztelu and
Olagario around 1910
The history of improvisation shows that this art has evolved over the
years and has been codified as can be seen in the section on contests and
championships.
We will explain to you the basic mechanisms used by bertsularis to create
their improvisations whether instantaneously or in writing.
We invite you to discover extraordinary men and women from everyday life
across the provinces and throughout the centuries.
Our paths of discovery
Oral improvisation in the world
The history of improvisation
Improvisation as "savoir-être"
Improvisation as "know-how"
Rules and forms
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EUSKAL KULTUR ERAKUNDEA - INSTITUT CULTUREL BASQUE
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The guides
You will be accompanied throughout this site by improvisers. During your
visit: click on their photos to discover what they have to say.
Xalbador
"Sung mass was also held during the week, and I used to sing to accompany
the priest. I took great pleasure in doing this because at that time I
enjoyed singing.
I found it easy to learn church hymns, although I didn’t understand what
I was singing because everything was in Latin. Later on, I became interested
in Basque songs.
I learnt some of them from my shepherd friends, but mostly from copies
collected here or there. Most of them were given to me by my aunt Mariana.
This is how I learnt many Basque songs.
Sometimes I even hummed away to tunes amongst my sheep. They also seemed
to appreciate my singing.
Behind the songs, writers … Then I began to think that someone was behind
these magnificent songs and I even learnt that they were called
improvisers.
I found this astonishing and difficult to believe because I didn’t think
that I had such a talent.
I was fascinated by the thought of these mysterious characters"
Amets Arzallus
"When I was a child, I didn’t have a model, except for my father. Later
on, at the age of 13 or 14, I began to realise that I had a preference for a
certain type of versification, and I began to know what direction I wanted
to take.
Since then, whenever I’m asked who’s my favourite improviser I answer:
Jose Agirre. My father felt very close to him, because they both came from
the same background. We, on the other hand, were born in towns and for us
Jose Agirre is the opposite of our own experience: he was brought up in a
farming environment, in the countryside, he began to work at a very early
age …
He had other references, and you can see that in the way he improvises.
To my mind, he’s a model because his language was rich and full of
colourful expressions, and because he represents a world which is the
opposite of our own"
Sustrai Colina
"When I was small, I wanted to be a pelota player. I hardly realised that
it was even possible to become an improviser.
Afterwards, you begin to think that you could be a improviser, you try to
understand the talent of others, and you have a certain admiration for them.
Then your turn comes when you are standing alongside those who you admired,
and they even become your friends. We saw all of this.
This was the case with Joxe Agirre, who’s 75 years old and still an
improviser. You discover who they really are and you admire them even more.
When you go to a village with this figure, this symbol, you’re surprised to
see how humble they are, and that they’re always ready to help you.
It’s an incredible chance to be able to meet such figures. This is also
the case of Andoni Egaña, three times champion, an unrivalled theoretician,
an enlightened and innovative improviser and a forerunner, but who, when
he’s sat at a table with you, is just one amongst you.
There are great lessons to be learnt from these meetings"
Miren Artetxe
"My father, and above all my grandfather, were very fond of
improvisation. When I was 9 or 10 I began to take improvisation classes,
which at that time were organised by Jexux Arzallus.
At the age of 12 Amets Arzallus and I went to classes in Oiartzun. But
after several years we stopped going there and the teacher from Oiartzun
came to Hendaye. That’s how we created a new group in Hendaye. It almost
feels like I was born knowing how to improvise. I know that’s not the case,
but it’s the impression I have.
I actually decided that I enjoyed improvisation when I was 16, when I
realised that I couldn’t do everything: dance, drama, music, improvisation
and pelota. When it came to the crunch, I realised that if there was one
thing I really didn’t want to give up, it was improvisation. From that time
on I think that I accepted it more easily.
I’m convinced that it’s the people, the group that makes you stay …
because it’s not easy when you’re young. Not many of us were improvisers,
few girls, and the group got smaller.
I think that today things are easier. There are more groups, and
improvisation is encouraged more.”
Patxi Iriart
"I acquired a taste for improvisation when the ikastola (Basque-medium
school) in Bayonne opened a class. I was in CM2 (10-11 years old) and we
were only a small group. From then on, I’ve always continued. Karlos
Aizpurua was our teacher.
I must admit that in the beginning I was pushed by my mother, but
afterwards, I realised that improvisation enabled me to learn many things.
Also, it was something new, and it was a change from usual activities like
football or pelota.
When the improvisation schools got off the ground, we met outside lesson
time for an hour a week with Karlos Aizpurua as our teacher. Then I attended
to high-school in Cambo and there, a new group was set up: there were a few
of us from the Lycée in Bayonne, others came from inland in the Basque
Country.
At present there are five of us, four boys and one girl. In the
beginning, there were more of us, simply because some left. Improvisation is
not everyone’s cup of tea"
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