Thursday, August 14, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Thousands March in Donostia
This note comes to us via Google News:
Thousands march in Spain's Basque region for independence
Aug 9, 2008
MADRID (AFP) — Thousands of people marched through the streets of the seaside city of San Sebastian in Spain's northeastern Basque Country on Saturday to demand self-determination for the wealthy region.
"Stop the state of emergency. Self-determination for Euskal Herria," read a banner carried by participants at the head of the peaceful march, using the Basque language name for the Basque Country.
Dozens of people waved the red, white and green Basque flag while others chanted slogans in favour of independence for the region as a police helicopter flew overhead, Spanish media reported.
Police offered no estimate for the number of participants but the Basque newspaper Gara said in its online edition that some 5,000 people had taken part in the demonstration which was organised by left-wing Basque nationalists.
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Thursday, August 07, 2008
Boise's Basque Winefest
This article comes to us via The Idaho Statesman:
AUG. 15: BASQUE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER'S WINEFEST
One of the oldest and most popular wine festivals in the Treasure Valley is the Basque Museum and Cultural Center's Winefest. Now in its 11th year, the outdoor event will be held on Friday, Aug. 15, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Downtown Boise's Basque Block (Grove Street between Capitol Boulevard and 6th Street).
Selected Idaho wineries and distributors will be on hand offering tasting samples of their wines. Each ticket-holding adult will be given a commemorative glass to use for the tastings and to enjoy a full glass of wine if they wish to purchase one.
There'll also be plenty of food on hand from the Basque Block's restaurants, including Gernika Basque Pub & Eatery, Leku Ona Basque Restaurant, The Basque Market and Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery.
The event is so popular that more than 500 people attended last year. "This is the Basque Museum's largest fundraising event of the year," said festival chairwoman Diana Echeverria.
"The money raised supports the Basque Museum's mission of educational programs and community outreach," said Patty Miller, executive director of the museum.
Miller also points out that one of the highlights of this year's Winefest will be a performance by the Oinkari Basque Dancers. The group was organized nearly 50 years ago and has been pleasing crowds ever since with colorful, ethnic costumes and authentic Basque instruments. The performance is scheduled for 7 p.m.
There will be a silent auction, as well, for a wide variety of items donated by local businesses and wine distributors.
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Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Solidarity With Scottish Teen
This note which highlights the solidarity of a Basque troupe of dancers and musicians comes to us thanks to The Edinburgh Paper:
Is obvious that this note will not make the headlines in news papers around the world.
Basque dancers to aid college dream
A FREE demonstration of dancing and music from the Basque country is being held to help raise funds to send a cerebral palsy sufferer to college.
Finola Forman, 16, was born with brain damage and cerebral palsy and hopes to attend Portland residential college in Nottingham when she finishes school.
Unfortunately, Scottish authorities can only provide a fraction of the cost, and so her friends and family have started work to raise the estimated £150,000 cost of the three-year course.
A group of Basque musicians, coming to Edinburgh to perform during the Festival, have agreed to put on two free demonstrations to help raise money for the teen.
The musical evenings are to be held in the Dalriada in Portobello, and collections will be held for Finola.
The events are being held on August 6 at 8pm and August 9 at 7 pm.
Is obvious that this note will not make the headlines in news papers around the world.
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Basque Books
This note comes to us thanks to Arbiter OnLine:
Albertsons Library receives Basque library collection
JENNIFER SAWMILLER
University of Idaho and Boise State University aren’t all about football rivalry.
Idaho, in conjunction with the Basque Museum and Cultural Center (located in Boise), recently presented Boise State’s Albertsons Library with a Basque library collection.
“It’s a wonderful collection of beautiful old books,” Lori Manning, curator of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, said.
The center is undergoing remodeling and no longer has space to house the volumes that have been there on long-term loan from Idaho since 1995.
“We’re so glad that the universities got together and were able to work out an agreement,” Manning said. “It’s a win-win-win situation for all of us.”
The collection is comprised of more than 3,400 volumes and includes rare, antique books in Basque, Spanish and English.
“We have a book on Basque laws from the 1600s that’s hand printed, with beautiful scroll work and parchment-type pages,” Manning said.
She added that since Basque history and culture is a big part of the total story of both Boise and Idaho, the books will be a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning more about the Basque heritage.
The Basque are an ethnic group from northern Spain and southern France who have clung to their own language and culture and resisted losing their identity to Spanish or French influences.
Many immigrated to the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries, with a large group settling in Idaho and contributing to various industries while preserving their dances, food, language and other cultural aspects.
Dean of the Vandals’ Library Lynn Baird said the Basque collection will support both Boise State’s growing Basque Studies Program as well as the large Basque community in and around Boise.
“Part of our stewardship in building collections for the University of Idaho Library is recognizing the regional impact of certain parts of our holdings,” Baird said.
Although the two university libraries do a lot of resource sharing, Baird said, an outright gift from one to the other, like this one, is unusual.
“We’re happy to have this collection, and it’s a great example of cooperation between the two universities,” Dean of the BSU Albertsons Library Marilyn Moody said.
Moody plans to enter the Basque collection into the library database, making it available for researchers and members of the community.
The more rare items will go into Special Collections on the second floor of the library.
“Only one or two libraries have some of these materials,” Moody said. “We found Basque dictionaries from the 1700s and 1800s. These are interesting, fairly unique books. There is Basque poetry and things that aren’t generally available.
That’s why we wanted to bring the collection here, to make many of the Basque materials in the United States available.”
BSU student and biology major J.D. Ward said although he probably won’t use the collection very much while studying biology, he is pleased the gift reflects Basque contributions to Boise.
“I think it’s really exciting because Boise is such a unique place because of the Basque community,” Ward said. “We should be proud of it and support it.”
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Saturday, July 26, 2008
Basque Pala
This note comes to us from Boise where the Basque festival is taking place, here it is:
Source : Idaho Statesman
Basque pala takes agility, strength
The cousin of racquetball is a centerpiece of the San Inazio Festival
Tucked behind a law office and Bar Gernika in the Basque Block is a spacious warehouse you might expect to be associated the phrase "back-room deal."
Instead, during the Basque community's San Inazio Festival this weekend there will be a mix of raw power and refined agility encapsulated in pala, a sport from the Basque country.
Think doubles racquetball, but with the wall on the right side replaced with an out-of-bounds line. Replace the racquet with a wooden paddle and a hollow rubber ball with a solid rubber ball. That's pretty much pala.
Spectators sit on narrow bleachers near the court's right boundary line, close enough to the ball zipping back and forth to keep you on your toes.
Watching athletes who are built more like football players than tennis players dart, leap and lunge around a court 36 meters deep is a unique experience.
On Friday a series of matches - they play games to 35 points, which takes about 45 minutes - were held with players from a San Francisco club mixed in with local athletes.
On Saturday, the Boise and San Francisco will meet for the tournament finals at 4p .m.
Other festivities begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, including music, dance groups, band, weight lifting and a tug-of-war between Boise and Meridian police. On Sunday, there is a street dance from 7 to 11 p.m.
Source : Idaho Statesman
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