More than a thousand kilometers separate the Rif Moroccan mountains, birthplace of the Jbala, and Barakaldo, where the last Bertsolari Txapelketa Nagusia (Bertsolarismo Championship) was held. Both hold the rich musical legacy of their territories and, despite the distance that separates them, they share many things that are worth discovering and studying.

Bridging the two is one of the tasks of the Institute for Culture and Society’s ORFORCREA project. It seeks to analyze the cognitive foundations of creativity in verbal art found not only in Bertsolarismo and Jbala, but also in other traditions, such as the oral epic of the former Yugoslavia, medieval Arab poetry, and French epic poems. The Russian researcher Sarali Gintsburg develops this project thanks to a Marie Curie grant from the European Commission.

The poetic texts within these traditions are based on fixed formulas, which have passed by word of mouth over the centuries, but they do not remain unchanged. Indeed, the narrators combine patterns and give rise to new phrases and meanings. All this signifies human beings’ unique capacity to elaborate and preserve complex traditions over time and, at the same time, to innovate and be creative.

A star of Moroccan folklore

One way to delve into these traditions involves talking to the people who keep them alive. Thus, Sarali recently met with the Moroccan interpreter Latifa Laaorussia in Frigiliana (Malaga). In Spain, she works in a hotel and is a normal member of society, but, in her native land, she is a star. She has recorded dozens of albums and often returns to perform.

"The example of Latifa is quite noteworthy. She is illiterate, yet she is able to retain thousands of lyrics, old poems and songs that she composed, "Sarali told La Opinión newspaper in Malaga, which recently published an article about her meeting with Latifa.

The following week, the project organized a seminar that addressed the latest research on Bertsolarismo. Asier Barandiarán, an expert in Basque philology at the University of the Basque Country, presented.

Both traditions will have the chance to dialogue in June in Pamplona, ​​within the framework of a conference that will include a round table with researchers and interpreters. As a finishing touch, a concert will be held to help strengthen the connections between these cultures.

Learn more about the ORFORCREA research with the following video. Moreover, with a 'Like' you can help Sarali to attend the EuroScience Open Forum.