In Europe
In Europe, versified improvisation also had its golden age, namely in countries such as Yugoslavia, Albania, Wales, Corsica, the Canary Islands, the Island of Ibiza, Andalusia, Galicia, etc.
We should also remember that more than 2000 years ago, versified improvisation was probably quite widespread amongst the Greeks since for his third pastoral poem, the Latin poet Virgil drew inspiration from their verbal jousting.
Not very long ago in Wales, sometimes two competitors would sing, either accompanied or unaccompanied by harps, stances called "Pennilion". The first improvised verses and sung them, the second used the same tune and replied with something funny or satirical.
Closer to home there are also forms of improvisation in Brittany and Corsica.
Map of oral improvisation
Southern Europe
- Sardinia
- Central and Southern Italy
- Bosnia
Iberian Peninsula
- Galice
- Basque Country
- Catalonia
- Northern Portugal
- La Alpujarra
- Murcia
- Balearic Islands
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.
