Noka Oral History

706 views · Published 18 April 2017 · 43:40 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: Library of Congress · 2017 · Education

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Members of the Noka Trio and Mikel Markez discuss their music and its origins. 

Speaker Biography: Andréa Bidart, Begoña Echeverria and Cathy Petrissans are the daughters and granddaughters of Basque immigrants who grew up together in Chino, California. As Noka, they specialize in songs about Basque culture, gender, and identity. They are particularly interested in songs that use Noka, a familiar form of address historically used in speaking to a girl or woman in whom one had konfiantza or trust. Noka has almost disappeared from everyday speech, but it is still used among some immigrants. Mikel Markez, a singer and songwriter from the Basque Country, joined Noka for their concert at the Library of Congress. 

For transcript and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=7762

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