GILLETTE, Wyo. — The band Ospa will present and perform dance music of the Basque Country and immigrant communities of the American West in a tour that will stop at Gillette’s Rockpile Museum at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5, 2023.
The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund and Worlds of Music are supporting the event, which will feature talks and performances around Wyoming. The programs focus on the Basque community dance music and the songs and poems of the 19th-century Basque troubadour Joxe Mari Iparragirre.
Ospa’s name comes from the verb osaptu, which means “celebrate” and “scram.” A set of songs they call “The Tree of Gernika” will celebrate Iparragirre’s life and influence. The poetry and songs will be in English and Basque. Basque communities were founded throughout the American intermountain West, including in Rock Springs and Buffalo, Wyoming.
Museum Director Robert Henning said that the five-piece band will perform in the back room of the museum. Lots of Campbell County residents have ties to Basque settlers, and in the past, the community has shown a lot of interest in Basque culture.
The event is free and open to the public with a suggested $5 donation to the Rockpile Museum Association. The museum is at 900 W. Second St., Gillette.
To see the dates of performances in other Wyoming communities, click here.
