A Musical Tour of the Basque Country
We saw the group Bidaia in the Scottish Borders last summer where they played for then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon among others as culture ambassadors of the Basque Country and were excited to have them accept our invite to return to the UK for the Bright Ideas Gathering.
The group name “Bidaia” means voyage in the Basque language and they’ll be taking us on a musical journey around the culturally rich & politically distinctive Basque Country, a unique region known for it’s elevated 3-star Michelin cuisine but also its aggressive separatist politics.
Bidaia’s bio
A Basque Country Music Ambassadors
- Bidaia is the creation of Caroline Phillips & Mixel Ducau.
- Mixel is a Basque native and deeply steeped in the regional culture and music. A noted virtuoso of an astonishing range of instruments, he also the major force in the group for composing the music & lyrics.
- Caroline is California-born and brings her unique cultural background encompassing Northern California, Scotland, Greece & Persia. She is the voice of Bidaia and also a master of the distinctive hurdy gurdy instrument, an ancient precursor to the synthesiser.
- Among many appearances their music has been featured at both the TED Conference and the Beyond Borders Festival.
