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Winners of the Vitoria-Gasteiz marching band championship. Source: Manolo González Pastor.

Music plays a fundamental role in our local collective imagination. Pieces composed expressly for special events (whether religious or secular) coexist with official and unofficial hymns, as well as folk songs rooted in a region or town, to name some examples. Music acts as a unifying force for the community: more than a layer of sound that surrounds the town, it is a network that connects the different moments and contexts that make up the celebration. Various musical groups, such as bands, txistulariak (Basque fipple flute player), gaiteroak (double reed instrument players) and txarangas (marching bands), demonstrate this.

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