Tthe art of improvised poetry - the articulation of national identity and the Basque poetry as world-reflexion
2012
Abstract
The article is focused on the relation between the phenomenon of impromptu versifying (bertsolaritza) and ethnic identity and nationalism in Basque Country. The text is a result of the field research that has been carried out in the first half of 2012, mostly in the Spanish regions of the Basque Country.
The art of bertsolaritza, its social context and its possible relation to contemporary Basque political discourse are presented briefly in the article. Bertsolaritza is shown as an oral tradition adapted to present-day social and technological conditions.
Its relation to the politics is manifestated on real examples. Some options for further research are sketched in the conclusion.