Guide · wedding in the Basque Country
Basque songs for a wedding: 14 pieces, from the ceremony to the dancing
Here are 14 Basque songs, choral pieces and tunes for your wedding, in the order of the day: ceremony, the couple's exit, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing and the end of the night. For each one, the author where known and the reason to place it at that moment. Further down, our advice on weaving them in without slipping into folklore.
The 14 songs, moment by moment
-
Agur Jaunak
The Basque song of welcome and honour. Everyone stands to listen. Have it sung a cappella as the couple arrive.
Listen on YouTube (Oldarra) -
Txoria txori
A love poem about the other person's freedom: if you clipped the bird's wings, it would no longer be a bird.
Listen on YouTube (Mikel Laboa) -
Izarren hautsa
“Stardust”: a text about the origin of life and what connects us to others, for a moment of reflection.
Listen on YouTube (Mikel Laboa) -
Biribilketa
The procession tune that leads the wedding party out of the ceremony and on to the cocktail hour.
Listen on YouTube (Banda de Txistularis de Bermeo) -
Aurresku
The dance of honour: a dantzari dances before the couple. It can be preceded by an agurra, a more stately salute.
Listen on YouTube (in Ciboure) -
Boga boga
A rowing song known throughout the Basque Country. A choir starts it and the guests who know it join in.
Listen on YouTube (Joselu Anayak) -
Sagarra jo!
Voices and Basque percussion. Madonna sang a verse of it in Basque with Kalakan on her MDNA tour in 2012.
Listen on YouTube (Kalakan) -
Ikusi mendizaleak
A mountain song that became so popular its author says it now belongs to the people. It is sung in chorus.
Listen on YouTube (Oskorri) -
Maitia nun zira
“My love, where are you?”: a popular love song, arranged for choir several times over, to be sung a cappella between courses.
Listen on YouTube (Oldarra) -
Lau teilatu
Itoiz's love song, voted the best Basque song of all time in a public vote in the 2000s.
Listen on YouTube (Itoiz) -
Fandango and arin-arin
The pair of dances heard at every Basque fête: a fandango in triple time, then the faster arin-arin. They are danced in couples or in small circles.
Listen on YouTube (at the Fêtes de Bayonne) -
Euritan dantzan
“Dancing in the rain”: a Basque-language rock hit about the art of looking on the bright side of bad weather. A good pick for an outdoor wedding.
Listen on YouTube (Gatibu, official video) -
Aldapan gora
Huntza's big hit, which became the most-played Basque-language song on YouTube.
Listen on YouTube (Huntza, official video) -
La Peña Baiona
Not Basque by origin, Bayonne's by adoption: the anthem of the Aviron Bayonnais supporters, and one of the tunes most played by the bandas of South-West France.
Listen on YouTube (Harmonie bayonnaise)
Weaving in Basque music without slipping into folklore
Getting married in the Basque Country often means wanting the place itself to be felt in the celebration. Used with care, Basque music creates the strongest moments of the day. Overdone, it becomes a folklore act tacked on to everything else. It all comes down to timing, judgement and transitions.
The moments where it works
- The ceremony: an a cappella choir, a few male voices or a mixed choir. The song of honour Agur Jaunak or Mikel Laboa's Txoria txori move far more than just the Basque guests.
- Honouring the couple: the aurresku, a dance of honour performed before the couple, is a solemn and spectacular moment.
- The cocktail hour: a bertsolari, an improvising singer-poet, can compose verses about the couple in Basque, with a translation for the other guests.
- The evening: a set from a banda, the brass bands that get the whole square singing during the Fêtes de Bayonne, transforms the dancefloor in a few minutes.
The aurresku: the dance of honour
Accompanied by the txistu (the Basque flute) and drum, the dantzari dances in the couple's honour, with kicks of impressive height. It is short and intense, and ideally placed as you leave the ceremony or as you enter the reception. Allow enough space and a floor that can be danced on.
Getting the balance right: one or two highlights, not a theme
The classic mistake is trying to include everything. Better one or two chosen moments, prepared and well placed, than an entirely “Basque” day that ends up looking like a show for tourists. Basque culture is alive: it pairs beautifully with soul at the cocktail hour or house at the end of the night.
For the atmosphere of a wedding inland in the Basque Country, see our wedding in the hills of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, told in photos.
The handover to the DJ
This is where it all plays out. A banda warms up the dancefloor, then a DJ picks up the energy without a lull; a choir gives way to a bright exit from the ceremony; a txalaparta, wooden planks struck by two players, opens a set with its hypnotic rhythm. These transitions are prepared in advance: that is the work of artistic direction.
For guests from elsewhere
Some of your guests may be discovering these traditions for the first time. A few words on the mic before the aurresku or the choir, a line in the order of service: that is what turns a curiosity into a shared emotion.
To plan the whole day, see also the musical running order of a wedding, or tell us about your plans.
Frequently asked questions
Which Basque songs should we choose for a wedding?
For the ceremony: Agur Jaunak, Mikel Laboa's Txoria txori or Xabier Lete's Izarren hautsa. For the exit: a biribilketa and the aurresku on txistu. At the cocktail hour: Boga boga, Sagarra jo! or Ikusi mendizaleak. At dinner: Maitia nun zira or Itoiz's Lau teilatu. For the dancing: a fandango followed by an arin-arin, Gatibu's Euritan dantzan, then Huntza's Aldapan gora and the Peña Baiona at the end of the night.
What is the aurresku?
It is a Basque dance of honour, performed by a dancer (dantzari) before the people being honoured, accompanied by txistu and drum. It is often danced in honour of the newlyweds.
Which Basque song for a wedding ceremony?
Agur Jaunak, a traditional song of honour, and Mikel Laboa's Txoria txori are among the most moving. An a cappella choir brings out their full power.
Can we have a banda at a wedding?
Yes, and it is unbeatable for launching or relaunching the party. It works best brought in for one specific moment, before the DJ picks up the energy.
A budget, a date, an idea?
Tell us about your event: we'll come back to you with profiles and a detailed quote.
Further reading
- How much does a wedding DJ cost in the Basque Country?
- DJ or live band for a wedding: how to choose
- The wedding music timeline, from the ceremony to the last song
- How to choose your wedding DJ: the questions to ask
- Outdoor wedding in the Basque Country: what the music needs to plan for
- Music for corporate events in the Basque Country: the formats that work