Basque is a language spoken by Basques and others of the Basque Country, a region that straddles the westernmost Pyrenees in adjacent parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. Linguistically, Basque is a language isolate. The Basques are indigenous to, and primarily inhabit, the Basque Country. The Basque language is spoken by 28.4% (751,500) of Basques in all territories. Of these, 93.2% (700,300) are in the Spanish area of the Basque Country and the remaining 6.8% (51,200) are in the French portion.
Basque music refers to the music made in the Basque Country, reflecting traits related to its society/tradition, and devised by people from that territory. While traditionally more closely associated to rural based and Basque language music, the growing diversification of its production during the last decades has tipped the scale in favour of a broad definition.
The txalaparta is a specialized Basque music device of wood or stone. In some regions of the Basque Country, zalaparta means "racket", while in others txalaparta has been attested as meaning the trot of the horse, a sense closely related to the sound of the instrument.
Tolosa is a town and municipality in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, in northern Spain. It is located in the valley of the river Oria, next by Uzturre, a local mountain topped by a white cross.
The Basque alboka is a single-reed woodwind instrument consisting of a single reed, two small diameter melody pipes with finger holes and a bell traditionally made from animal horn. Additionally, a reed cap of animal horn is placed around the reed to contain the breath and allow circular breathing for constant play. In the Basque language, an alboka player is called albokari. The alboka is usually used to accompany a tambourine singer.
Alkiza is a rural municipality in the centre of Gipuzkoa, northwest of the Tolosaldea County, in the Basque Country. It is 27 kilometres south of San Sebastian. In 2019 it had 373 inhabitants, of which 88.8% were Basque speakers. Alkiza is an independent municipality since 1731; previously it depended on Tolosa and San Sebastian.
Txabi Etxebarrieta, also known as Xabier Etxebarrieta Ortiz, was a Basque nationalist and one of the founders of the armed pro-independence organization Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA). He was the perpetrator of the first assassination carried out by this group, and also the first ETA militant killed in a confrontation with the Civil Guard, for which he became an icon within the inner circle of the group and its supporters.
Kepa Junkera Urraza is a Basque musician and composer. A master of the trikitixa, the diatonic accordion, he has recorded more than 10 albums. Junkera won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2004 for his album K.
Zumarraga is a municipality and industrial town in Gipuzkoa province of the Basque Country autonomous community of northern Spain, approximately 35 miles (56 km) by road southwest of San Sebastián and 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Idiazabal. As of 2018 the municipality had a population of 9834 people. The Urola river flows through the vicinity. It is the birthplace of Miguel López de Legazpi, conquistador who explored the Pacific Islands and the East Indies, and of Iñaki Urdangarín, the husband of Infanta Cristina of Spain.
Ibon Koteron is a Basque musician renowned as a player of the alboka. His 1996 debut release was a joint record with Kepa Junkera, entitled Leonen Orroak.
Iñaki Muñoz Oroz is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.
Iñaki Plaza Murga is a Basque musician from Bilbao, Biscay. He began studying trikitixa and traditional Basque percussion in 1993. He later began studying ethnic percussion as well as the hindú slat with Sergey Sapricheff. He played with Kepa Junkera until 2008, and currently plays with Ibon Koteron and “Etxak” as a txalapartari, percussionist and trikitilari. He partners with Ion Garmendia Anfurrutia on their current project, entitled “Hogeihatz Proiektua”. The first discographic work of this project is projected to be introduced next winter.
Juan Carlos Tolosa is an Argentinian composer, pianist, and conductor.
Athletic Club "B", commonly known as Bilbao Athletic, is the reserve team of Athletic Club, a football club based in Bilbao, in the autonomous community of Basque Country in Spain. The team are playing in the Segunda Federación – Group 2. Founded in 1964, the team holds home matches at the small stadium attached to the club's training facility at Lezama, holding 3,250 spectators or occasionally at San Mamés Stadium, with its 53,500-seat capacity, for important fixtures.
Xabi Aburruzaga is a Basque musician and composer, who is a master of the Trikitixa, the diatonic accordion.
Juan Manuel Cañizares is a Spanish flamenco guitarist and composer. He is a winner of the "Premio Nacional de Música" (1982) and "Premio de la Música" (2008) awards.
Lori Cotler, known artistically as Loire, is an American rhythm vocalist, composer, recording artist, educator, and music therapist known for her Konnakol, scat singing, world music vocal stylings, ethno jazz interpretations, and film score vocals.
Bulgarka Junior Quartet is a Bulgarian vocal folklore ensemble.
Arturo Alcoceba Isusi is a Spanish politician with a Basque nationalist ideology belonging to the Basque Nationalist Party, former president of the PNV in Güeñes.
The Municipal Conservatory of Sestao or the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Sestao is a teaching institution, which is devoted to music education. The present ownership belongs to the Sestao City Council.
