The Great Bertsolari Championship (Bertsolari Txapelketa Nagusia) is a championship among bertsolaris from all over the Basque Country. It is contested every four years and the current 2022 champion is Maialen Lujanbio.
History It was first organized by Euzko Gaztedi in 1935 and 1936. Then there was a hiatus of the Spanish Civil War and its subsequent repression. Euskaltzaindia took some years of organizational responsibility in 1960, 1962, 1965, and 1967. The next, with a thirteen-year break, were held in 1980 and 1982, and Xabier Amuriza won both. Although he was from Biscay, he sung in Standard Basque instead of the Biscayan dialect, breaking the mold, and establishing a precedent for modern bertsolaritza. Since 1986, the Basque Association of Friends of the Basque Country has organized the championship every four years.
Winners Year Winner 1935 Inazio Eizmendi Manterola "Basarri" 1936 Jose Manuel Lujanbio Retegi "Txirrita" 1960 Inazio Eizmendi Manterola "Basarri" 1962 Manuel Olaizola Urbieta "Uztapide" 1965 1967 1980 Xabier Amuriza Sarrionandia 1982 1986 Sebastian Lizaso Iraola 1989 Jon Lopategi Lauzirika 1993 Andoni Egaña Makazaga 1997 2001 2005 2009 Maialen Lujanbio Zugasti 2013 Amets Arzallus Antia 2017 Maialen Lujanbio Zugasti
References
External links http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/fiesta/fiesta-bertsolaris-poetas-populares-vascos/3706444/ https://www.bertsozale.eus/eu/bertsolari-txapelketa-nagusia