Basques in Boise

Visitors have started to arrive in Boise as the days and hours tick down to the start of Jaialdi, an International Basque cultural festival held every five years in the capital city of Idaho the last week of July.

There are several travel agencies organizing trips from the Basque Country, while other Basques will come from South America, and many, also of Basque heritage, from the United States.

But for the Idahoans, as far as organization and taking part in the festival are concerned, the Jaialdi, Basque word for ''party time'', is no longer an just event that involves the Basque-American community.

"It has become an important city event. It is certainly the Basque community, but as it goes along, the broader community has become more aware of it and has embraced it to a certain extent," says Mayor of Boise Dave Bieter in an exclusive interview for eitb.com.

According to the Mayor of Boise, who is of Basque heritage and speaks fluent Basque, the city has held up pretty well despite the crisis but there is no doubt the festival could not come at a better time and will be a breath of fresh air.

"The recession is not over. It comes at a very good time because the economy could always use the kind of boost that this will provide," he says.

There have been some other big events in the city such as an Ironman event and the winter special Olympics, but Jaialdi is probably the biggest event to happen regularly and the one that brings most people to the city.

And this time it seems most people are coming from abroad despite the fact that the euro is becoming weaker against the dollar. "I have no way to quantify this, but I think more Basques from the Basque Country are coming this year," Dave Bieter says.

"It seems there are more people coming from outside the city this time. I think that is a very good thing and it will be a little bit different to what it has been in the past," he adds.

Boise ambassadors

There are more new features at this year''s event: For the first time, a non-Basque group will perform at Jaialdi. Arrantza by the Trey McIntyre Project, whom Dave Bieter recently named Boise''s cultural ambassadors, will be premiered on July 30th as part of Festa''ra. Arrantza, the Basque word for ''fishing'', ''ruminates over Basque culture from the outside in, by weaving poetic extensions of Basque folk influence through a dreamlike structure of story''.

If Dave Bieter could only choose one thing to see at Jaialdi, it would definitely be this show by the Trey McIntyre Project. "I am very curious about it. I have got to know them pretty well and they are phenomenal. I have seen them once. I was blown away. I thought it was wonderful. I am so curious about what it is going to be," the Mayor says.

After Jaialdi, the dance company plans to perform its Basque interpretation in several cities in the United States and in the Basque Country. This will continue to raise the profile of Boise and its close links with Basque culture all around the world.

"I think that what makes Boise not unique but different in the United States is the Basque presence here. But then, to take Trey McIntyre''s presence here, which is a wonderful but surprising thing to many people, and combine that with something which differentiates us is amazing," Dave Bieter explains.

If he had to change anything, Dave would like the old Penitentiary to be better in some way. The first Jaialdi was held there but, because of its huge success, had to be moved to the Idaho Fairgrounds, a bigger venue but some miles from downtown Boise. "The Fairground is so big and so generic. I wish we could somehow host it in the middle of town. That is the only thing," Dave says he would change.

"This event makes me wish we had better connections in that way," he finally adds after considering the possibility of having streetcars in Boise sometime in the future. Maybe for the next Jaialdi.