If we had to highlight the most characteristic features of Basque people, we would probably chose three : A deep attachment to their traditions, culture and language. Several daily tasks of farmers and fishermen have given birth to games and sports that run deep in tradition; sports and games which are known by their need of strength and skill. Regatas (rowing boats with fixed seats), stone-lifting, trunk-cutting, boulder-dragging by oxen…

These competitions are proof of their capacity to turn daily routine into sports, games and entertainment. Bertsolaries deserve a special mention. These poets sing in Euskara while they improvised the lyrics in verse. One, nonetheless, can not forget Basque dances, with their graceful movements, their technique, their colour and artistic composition.

The origins of Basque Folklore are as unknown as those of its language. Several hypothesis have been issued but no one has ever really succeeded in finding its real source, and neither have they accounted its evolution. This uncertainty is also extended to the origin of the evolution of traditional culture and in particular, to its different musical manifestations. When studying popular music, whether Basque or elsewhere, the first problem one can find is the definition of folklore itself: "musical expression that presents a physiognomy and characteristics common to a particular population"

The evolution of folklore is always a process related to culture permeability. All people experience cultural crossbreeding with their neighbours. The Basque Country, although has managed to avoid invasions along the centuries, has learned from hosts such as the Celts, Iberians, Romans, etc. And all have left their imprint.

One of the difficulties we will find in researching traditional music, will be the fact that it was transmitted orally. The most ancient written evidence one can find of this non religious folklore, has its origin in dance.
On the other hand, the gathering of real evidence started too late and it was made in a very irregular way.

SANTESTEBAN, D'ABBADIE, etc... brought to light a great part of the rich musical tradition cultivated for centuries. Basques "Fiestas" that were started by Antoine D'ABBADIE in Urrugne in the year 1853, contributed to the development of local traditions. Apart from these "Fiestas", choral societies helped spreading music by performing popular songs, previously arranged. But it was authors such as Father DONOSTIA and RESURRECCION MARIA DE AZCUE who, at the beginning of the 20th century, made an incredible work from the folklore musicology point of view by exhaustively compiling melodies and chants throughout the whole Basque territory. They have not only contributed to dive deeper in the history of the Basque music, but also in the history of Basque people as a country.

We could end by quoting the words of Father DONOSTIA:

"To know the Basque, we must know their songs".