Chino puts on a great festival

The Chino Basque Club put on a festival at its 40th annual Basque "picnic" which nowadays, equates to a four-day celebration.   This year's besta was full of cultural events, activities and gatherings.  

On Friday people from all over the United States converged in Chino.  Friday night activities were at the Chino Euskal Etxea, a well-kept, euskaldun-decorated clubhouse.  The comedy film, "Aupa Etxebeste" was featured at the back of the clubhouse and others were meeting, greeting and mingling near the bar at the front which was covered by volunteers.

Saturday morning started very early at 8:00am for the NABO Convention meeting.    NABO holds a yearly convention which is rotated among its participating club members.  This year, 2008, Chino was chosen to host the convention.  From 8:00am to 3:00pm the NABO meeting was held and thanks to its members, volunteers, commitment and passion for Basque culture, we are all able to enjoy cultural events in addition to club events.  

A Junior Mus txapelketa (championship) kept things moving along with winners being;

1st place:  Marcus Helton and Taylor Berterretche from Chino Basque Club

2nd place:  Jackie Iriart and Tina Iriart from Southern California Basque Club

Junior pilota games were held at the Aphessetche Trinketa with players coming from all over California.  At 4:00pm in the afternoon after the juniors, an exhibition match between Mexico and France kept the crowd alive and more spectators were able to attend as other events had finished.  A trinketa is an advanced level fronton for pilota and pala.  It has four walls instead of two which leads to really fast play.   It also has an angled corner and an angled "zulo" or whole in the wall, where, if your pilota ball hits these places, it is very difficult to estimate the trajectory of the rebound.  A local Chino Basque who provided play-by-play strategy for those in earshot distance, Dennis Petrissans, said the Aphessetche trinketa's dimensions were made in exact replica of  Donibane-Lohizune's (San Juan de Luz) trinketa.  Pettan Aphessetche co-owner of the trinketa with his brother, kept score and refereed the match with a traditional red and green scoreboard that marked the points.  (see photo album) Mexico won the friendly match.

Saturday night was a beautiful dinner, musical entertainment and dance evening at the fairgrounds.  Chino Basque Club volunteers and local cooks prepared a delicious dinner for 625 people.  A favorite of everyone’s was the "axoa" Basque stew.  The Klika groups form all over California converged for a tribute on stage. Klika is tradition uniquely experienced in Basque towns in Iparralde, or the Northern Basque Country.  Young Basque men, who were drafted into the French army, were picked for the military brass bands of their units because of their natural musical talent.   After their military service, having learned to play bugle and drums, these men brought their marching music back to their home towns.  In celebration of music, Basque American immigrants recreated this tradition that has endured for decades here.   Everyone who attended the dinner was given a free blue Klika in America tribute scarf.  

NOKA music group, composed of three women from Chino, gave a wonderful performance of their own music and that of others.  One of NOKA’s  unique features is how they share and promote Euskara, the Basque language.  They want to make sure the audience enjoys and learns as much as possible.  So, while they are singing, they have a creative slideshow with lyrics, translations and funny and clever photos of what the music is saying.  To cap the night off a band from the Basque Country provided Basque music for everyone to dance to.

On Sunday. Basque mass was celebrated and hosted by the dearly loved, Aita Tillous.  He is a big supporter and lover of Basque culture and spirituality.  A barbeque steak lunch followed and then it was show time for two visiting Klika groups and four visiting dance troupes.  

Monday completed the four day festivities with a Basque brunch at Centro Basco Restaurant and handball games afterward in the fronton in the back.