Basque ethnography at a glance

Txikiteros Festival in the Old Town of Bilbao (2024-10-11). Author: Zuriñe Goitia. 

Bilbainada is a musical genre native to Bizkaia, developed mainly in the city of Bilbao, based on popular songs and whose lyrics talk about social events and incidents that took place in the city and surrounding towns.

These cheerful songs usually talk about news, experiences, customs, traditions and historical events of the city, with a touch of nostalgia and irony. The typical Bilbainada has a unique characteristic: the rhythm changes three or four times in the same song. It can begin as a habanera, for example, continue as a jota and end with a fandango. This is because over the 19th century these songs and coplas have been nourished by the many influences of the folklore of the time. For example, due to the influence of American music on our chansonnier, the rhythm of the habanera was born.

The singing group or cuadrilla is an important element in the bilbainada, both in origin and in interpretation. Traditionally, it was formed by a group made up of men who sang “a capella”. This practical way of singing has been practiced, more or less regularly and spontaneously, at the table, at txakolindegis (sparkling white Basque wine), sagardotegis (cider houses), breweries, bars, taverns or restaurants, as well as in the most diverse festive celebrations: family, social and collective. They are closely linked to the “txikiteo” (bar crawl), and during the journey of txikitero groups through the different establishments, bilbainadas are sung between drinks.

85th anniversary of Los Chimberos, at the Bilbao Pergola (08-23-2024). Author: Zuriñe Goitia. 

Along with the expansion of their popularity, the constant incorporation of new voices into the groups (those who improve the harmony of the songs) and the creation of more professional musical bands, have led to the creation and interpretation of bilbainadas in halls and spaces dedicated to the world of entertainment, such as theatres or all types of stages, offering their music to specific audiences.

Between 1920 and 1930, the first “ochotes” began to be formed, groups of eight male singers, accompanied by a conductor, with voices divided into four vocal ranges. At the same time, in 1930, the group “Los Bocheros” was born, a group of five singers, and 5 years later, in 1939, Goyo Nadal, a young singer from Bilbao, created the musical-vocal group “Los Chimberos”. These groups, unlike the ochotes, include various musical instruments (guitars, accordions, tambourines, etc.) along with the voices of their members.

Bilbainada albums. Author: Zuriñe Goitia. 

Thus, a symbiosis between popular and cult songs was created, which increased the social value of the tavern songs, spreading their interpretation and making them known beyond the borders of the municipality, making them one of the identifying elements of Bilbao.

For all this reason, it can be said that this heritage is interconnected with various aspects of daily life at any given moment, but, at the same time, linked to traditions that live in the memory of the community.

Today, the Bilbainadas are a cultural event that survives in our society, mainly thanks to its elderly audience. Over time, and if this audience that understands, appreciates and sings the classic songs of Bilbao disappears, this cultural manifestation could also disappear.

Zuriñe Goitia — Anthropologist