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A.E.B./Bakersfield, USA. The Big Day was on Sunday, but CSUB held the first event of the program on Friday, May 24^th. Ander Egiluz Beramendi, the current Basque instructor of the Club, gave a talk on bertsolaritza (extemporary created and sang Basque poetry), that was followed by the acclaimed documentary Bertsolari, by Basque film-maker Asier Altuna. Some 25 people enjoyed this cultural experience which was enhanced by wine and pintxosserved by the Gamboa family.

On Saturday, the Mus tournament was the most important event of the day with almost 50 couples playing this classic Basque card-game. Eventually, Bert Ossinalde and Javier Marticorena won the first Price ($500), whilst Evaristo Ramos and Juan Sanchez were placed second and awarded with $250.

Handball tournament

By the time the tournament was over handball players were already warming up at the Gure Ametsa fronton. Aritz Lasa, Iñaki Otxandorena, Juantxo Koka and Patxi Ruiz played the first of the two games on Saturday, and Koka and Ruiz beat the other two: 25-24. After the game, following the unwritten tradition, people went to have dinner to the famous Benji’s restaurant to meet up with friends coming from LA, Chino, San Francisco and other communities, mostly from California.

[Handball players at the Bakersfield Basque Festival (photo Eneko Egiluz Beramendi)]

Dantza Gangnam style

The Big Day started with mass at the pleasant garden of the Basque Club. It was a colorful Basque celebration with Klika music, a choir singing in Euskara, and the Agurra of honor. After the last blessing the cooks served up to 1,500 lunches, a figure that shows how important this celebration is for people in the city, even for those who are not of Basque origin.

After lunch, Basque dancers and Klika musicians went onstage, with performers raging from about 4 and 5 years old to the most experienced Klika band members in their sixties. The show had an unexpected and funny ending since the dancers surprised the audience with a version of the Gangnam Style hit.

[The dancers surprised with their Gangam Style performance (photo Eneko Egiluz Beramendi)]

Jean Flesher Band

As the performance came to an end the second eskupilota game began: Koka and Otxandorena vs. Lasa and Ruiz. The first couple won the game 30-27. It was already 7:00 pm by the time the athletes left the court, but there were still seven hours of amusement along with the songs played by the Jean Flesher Band until 2:00 am.

On Monday, around 200 people gathered at the Wool Grower’s Basque restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and the last dances of this year’s Besta. The Basque community of Bakersfield started the week with a big smile and only one thing in mind: next year’s NABO convention which will be held in the city of Thomas Baker.