AUTHORS

INTRODUCTION

I. SOCIOCULTURAL REALITY AND PRESENT-DAY BERTSOLARITZA

II. ACHIEVING A BALANCE AMONGST THE CHALLENGES FACING BERTSOLARITZA: KEYS TO THE CREATIVITY OF THE TRADITION

1. Some revealing features

1.1 Total abscence of mass production

1.2. Public participation and the vital importance of feedback

1.3. The nature of live performance in a public area and group participation

1.4. Integrated nature of the audience

1.5. Accessibility of the bertsolari: economic self-sufficiency and modesty

2. What does the bertsolari sing?

3. Achieving a balance amongst the challenges. What are roots for?

4. Three keys for development

III. THE PROCESS OF CREATING IMPROVISED BERTSOS

IV. PROPOSALS FOR A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

V. GLOSSARY

1 Some revealing features

The current development of bertsolaritza has, as a cultural expression, features which contrast sharply with some of the main tendencies present in the mass culture. We will look at some of them we believe to be specially significant.