Becoming a bertsulari

You will be accompanied throughout this site by improvisers. During your visit: click on their photos to discover what they have to say.

"Between the ages of sixteen and nineteen, I sang many improvisations. Even if I was not up to the same level as those improvisers who I admired so much, I practiced, and believe me, I had to make a great effort in order to achieve something.

When I was alone I never stopped trying. I improvised whether it was any good or not, then taking my time, I tried to arrange and improve my verses.

I had more success using this second method".

"When I was a child, a lot of us went to the improvisation classes my father gave. It wasn’t strange or rare.

I remember that many of my classmates, who today play rugby or have other activities, came to improvisation classes with us. But perhaps after that the world of improvisation seemed too far away from their concerns.

At that time I wasn’t the only one and improvisation was seen as a normal activity.

I first began to learn at improvisation classes in Hendaye, and then we went to Oiartzun for two years: there were only two of us in Hendaye, which wasn’t enough to keep the class going. It was only later on that there was a larger group in Hendaye.

When I began to study journalism in Bilbao, I took improvisation classes in Azpeitia. And currently, on Wednesday or Thursday evenings we go to classes in Oiartzun: we go to sing and to keep it up"

"I was very lucky. At home I was always allowed to do what I wanted. That’s how I learnt to take responsabilities and I was able to realise for myself what was right and what was wrong, by making mistakes.

My parents always told me that in improvisation I’d learn the values which I’d need later on in life. For example, knowing how to react in front of an audience was very precious when I had to sit my exams.

I said to myself that if I was capable of improvising something in front of a hundred people, reciting what I’d learnt off by heart to just one person wasn’t so difficult.

When we were children, at the ikastola, the others were generally frightened of speaking in public, but we were always at ease in this field. On stage we appear as we are or at least we publically reveal the different aspects of our personality. That makes us assume the facets of our personality which are made public.

From that point of view, I’m convinced that improvisation is very valuable, especially during adolescence …

When, as a child you have to learn to accept yourself as you are, it’s a discipline which will helps children who are ca”pable of going up onto the stage with all their imperfections to feel good about themselves"

"I give improvisation lessons to 9-11 year old pupils in Hendaye. What’s important is that the children have a good time. It’s no use trying to explain to them that improvisation’s something magical: it’s something they need to experience for themselves.

I think we should use improvisation as a pretext for them to enjoy themselves, make them speak in Basque, indirectly practice expression while they’re getting used to it all, and work on relations and the group, because the group is essential in improvisation. And I think it’s what we have managed to achieve thanks to the what’s currently being done in the Northern Basque Country. Those who began three years ago are still there this year.

My objective is not to turn them into improvisers, but for them to enjoy improvising verse and playing with words, and if there’s an improvisation session near where they live, for them to go … For me that’s enough"

"Improvisation enables me to have a good time with my friends. We know we’re keeping the Basque language alive, which is very important for us. Improvisation also teaches you how to speak in public.

I’m rather timid and thanks to improvisation I’m able to express myself more easily in public or when I have to speak in class. Since improvisation is not fully ‘‘standardised’’ in the Northern Basque Country, when we were at high school, some of the pupils laughed at us improvising. Improvisers are different.

Now mentalities are changing, but I think that Amets, Sustrai and that generation suffered from this situation more than us. For me improvisation has become an integral part of my life and, even if I don’t become a great bertsolari, I’ll continue to support improvisation and I’ll go to encourage other improvisers.

Of course this discipline requires a lot of time, for example Sustrai and Amets perform every weekend in a different place …

Plus, you have to practice together once or twice a week. But that’s a commitment I’m prepared to make"