Improvisation
One of the most characteristic expressions of Basque culture is undoubtedly the impromptu or improvised singing of verses - bertsularism.
This tradition – on the point of disappearing in a number of places – is highly popular and well-regarded in the Basque Country, particularly so in specific situations such as rest house, cider-houses and generally places where locals meet.
Amongst Basques, the fame of the great bertsolaris is without match.
Some bertsolari names are remembered even after they have long gone.
At the beginning of the XX century bertsolarism championships began to be organised and, at the end of the same century, bertsolari schools were set up. The new generation of young bertsolaris has raised this art form to heretofore unimaginable levels of quality and with great success.
What is bertsolaritza? has been carried out with the aim of answering that question and showing people abroad what bertsolaritza is. The film enables people to discover bertsolaritza from its roots and to pay attention to the context, creative process and current situation of the discipline.
Bertsolaritza can designate both the art of improvising verses (bertsogintza) and the social movement created around it (bertsolaritza). The principal goal of this book is to present the necessary means for fully understanding bertsolaritza. A publication of the Etxepare Basque Institute, free to download.
