Bertsolaristic movement History Bertsolaris from the social viewpoint

Bertsolaris from the social viewpoint

As of 1960, bertsolarismo became a mechanism to denounce social repression. Following the disappearance of protectionism, Lopategi and Azpillaga (in the south) and Xalbador and Mattin (in the north) promoted the art as a means of expression. Bertsolarismo became a defensive tool: the Ez Dok Hamairu group, for example, sang tirelessly of the repression of Basque culture. The survival of Basque culture between 1968 and 1980 was in any case no easy task.

In general, it may be said that the art gradually began to take root between 1935 and 1968. In addition to competitions, verses began to appear in the media, on the radio and in newspapers.

The end of Franco’s dictatorship unleashed a great thirst for freedom. The Basque Country Championship was reorganised in 1980, and Xabier Amuriza was the winner in 1980 and in 1982. The contests in the 1980s were completely different to those of the 1960s. The spectators, who until then had appeared so homogenous, became much more heterogeneous since the bertsolaris had now opened up their area of activity.

From the bar to the stage The reality of modern age