Community urged to enroll in exciting Basque music class

The band Ospa will present music from the Basque Country and the Basque immigrant communities of the American West on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 6 p.m. at Casper College.

This class is an excellent opportunity to “learn more about Basque history and music and to gain a deeper appreciation of a group that has played and continues to play a large role in Wyoming life,” said Ospa band member David Romtvedt.

“Students will be immersed in Basque culture,” said Zhanna Gallegos, community education coordinator, and “dive into Basque history and discuss Basques’ continuous lobbying efforts for political and social autonomy.” During the class, students will listen to live performances of Joxe Mari Iparragirre’s music and learn a Basque dance if desired.

“I’m excited to meet students and community members at Casper College as I love playing Basque music. I appreciate the opportunity to bring to American audiences the work of the prominent 19th-century Basque troubadour poet Joxe Mari Iparragirre, and I believe an understanding of the historical and present situation of the Basque Country can help us to see our current situation in the United States more clearly,” said Romtvedt.

Basque Musical Heritage will take place in the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center on the Casper College campus. The cost is $10 per person, and registrations are due by Monday, Jan. 9. To sign up or for more information, go to caspercollege.augusoft.net or call 307-268-3401.

This performance and talk are a part of the Ospa Basque tour supported in part by the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, and by Worlds of Music.