The Slow Fund: Commissioning New Instruments for Musika Etxea

This feature is part of our Slow Fund Series: projects and stories that highlight the communities we visit and how we give back. We established The Slow Fund to support innovative projects that are reflective of the regions that inspire them.

Whether through educational, cultural, or conservation and preservation initiatives, the Fund helps protect various forms of heritage and promotes the health of vibrant living cultures and the eco-systems that support them.

Focused on preserving the culture of traditional arts in the Basque region, the Musika Etxea Academia Municipal de Folklore is an important organization in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

The academy is dedicated to teaching traditional Basque music and dance just north of Rioja. Through concerts, as well as Agurra dancing, the school has kept this slice of Basque heritage (from instruments to attire) alive throughout the city with its performances.

The B&R Fund supported the commissioning of new instruments for the Academia Municipal de Folklore, and the teaching of students on performing traditional Txalaparta, Alboka and Txirula music.

B&R’s travellers in the Rioja region are often treated to a private performance of traditional Basque music and dance.