The following is a guest post by Elizabette Guéçamburu.
A big thanks to Anne-Marie for, once again, turning over her Hella Basque blog to me. Don’t worry, this time I won’t be pestering you about Basque genealogy — although, in all honesty, COVID19 quarantine is a great time to get crackin’ on your family tree. Zooming or WhatsApping with faraway Basque relatives to gather information is a far better use of time than binge-watching all ten seasons of Friends for the third time since March. I get it, though, rewatching old TV is comforting during stressful times — just like leftover txilindron and eating Gateau Basque right out of the pan. (I’m not judging.)
Anyway, I wanted to tell you about a revolutionary event that just happened in the Basque community. Something amazing.
The Chino Basque Club hosted the first-ever Virtual Basque Picnic. In the face of this global pandemic, many of the annual Basque gatherings, both here in the United States, and in Euskal Herria, were cancelled or scaled-back for COVID19 safety reasons. These picnics and bestas have been the cornerstone of Basque cultural life for generations — so they’ve been sorely missed by many this year.
But the Chino Basque Club saw an opportunity where others did not: Why couldn’t a Basque picnic be a virtual one?
And, it turns out, there’s absolutely ZERO reason why a Basque picnic cannot be held online!
For nearly four hours, the Chino Basque Club YouTube channel delivered a live stream of content for Basques near (and far!) to enjoy. There were performances by the Gauden Bat Dancers, cooking demonstrations, hilarious bartending tutorials, and many video toasts from Basque families all over the United States sharing greetings with each other.
But, one of the coolest aspects of this Virtual Picnic? Lots of talented musicians from Euskal Herria joined in the fun — making this picnic truly a worldwide Basque experience. Something that has never, EVER been done before.
I’ve been to quite a few Basque picnics in my life, including several in Chino. But I have to say, in all honesty, this was the best Basque picnic I’ve ever been to. Without even meaning to do so, the Chino Basque Club managed to create the most accessible Basque picnic in history.
As a disabled person, this is personally a very big deal for 3 reasons:
- I got to enjoy a Basque picnic without sweating so much that my pants literally became stuck to my wheelchair seat.
- I didn’t have to worry about waking up early in order to drive for hours to a picnic in the hopes that I’d find parking when I got there.
- I didn’t have lots of drunk people leaning down to give me pottak before spilling their 7/7s on my power wheelchair.
As we eventually move past this COVID19 era, I hope some of the lessons and adaptations made during this time will continue. There is definitely space for a Basque Virtual Picnic in the future. Perhaps more Basque clubs and the North American Basque Organizations need to explore this concept, too.
Think of the connections that could be made in this virtual medium — across miles, timezones, and oceans? We’ve seen now that it is, indeed, possible. And, after all, isn’t that what a Basque picnic is all about? In this technologically modern era, maybe we need to redefine what a Basque Picnic can be?
This adaptation may be more critical than you might think. As younger Basques move away from the traditional Basque population hubs of the Diaspora, we will definitely need to think “outside the box” when it comes to keeping our community together. Even before COVID19, the way many socialize (especially younger generations) has increasingly been shifting into the digital sphere.
If the Basque community wants to maintain its ties in a changing world, we’ve got to be willing to change, too.
Lastly, I want to give a MAJOR shout-out to the Chino Basque Club for all their hard work and for being brave enough to try something that has never been done before. I’d also like to send a mil esker to the amazing musical contributors from Euskal Herria that recognized the power and value of this project and wanted to be a part of it — Iñaki Diéguez, Menditarrak, Kiki Bordatxo, Joxe Angel Elizalde, Xabier & Aner Euzkitze, Mikel & Esti Markez, Julen Alonso, Xabi Aburruzaga, Mattin Lerissa & Mixel Ducau, Iñaki Reta & Marta Peruga, and Ketxo. I hope we’ll see more of these US/EH collaborations in the future.
‘Cause it was super rad.
If you missed the virtual picnic and want to see the live stream, you can find it here:
Stay safe, everyone, and be well.
xoxo,
Elizabette Guéçamburu
elizabetteunplugged.com
About the Author:
Elizabette Guéçamburu is a writer, newspaper columnist and disability advocate with an addiction to books, politics, and all things that smell like pumpkin pie. Based in central California, she graduated from Santa Clara University and endured a brief, and horribly boring, stint in law school. She blogs at: www.elizabetteunplugged.com
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