Baski-Ilta: poetry, bertsos and music in Helsinki

On Thursday and Friday, the University of Helsinki hosted an extensive programme of activities aimed at bringing Basque culture closer to students of the university and to the general public.

On Thursday and Friday, the University of Helsinki hosted an extensive programme of activities aimed at bringing Basque culture closer to students of the university and to the general public.

From the poetry of Sarrionandia to the music of Anari to bertsolaritza and the current situation of the Basque language, Baski Ilta offered a broad perspective of Basque culture today.

The programme got underway on 27 September with the Bertsolari, the lyrical documentary by Asier Altuna on this very particular Basque oral tradition. The event featured a very special invited guest, Maialen Lujanbio, winner of the grand Bertsolari championship in 2017. Lujanbio introduced the film, which was followed by a colloquium.

The evening of the 28th began with an audiovisual recital of the poetry of Joseba Sarrionandia, translated to Finnish with help from the writer Tapio Koivukari. The audience also had the chance to hear about the linguistic status of Euskera and Sami from Lorea Agirre and Teija Kaartokallio. Maialen Lujanbio spoke again about bertsolaritza, explaining the characteristics of this art and gave a brief demonstration. After enjoying some pintxos, the evening came to a close with a concert by Anari.