Zortziko

The zortziko is a dance rhythm that originates in the Basque Country. It is also used as an accompaniment rhythm for vocal melodies.

The zortziko has a distinctive 5/8 time signature, consisting of three subdivisions of 1, 2, and 2 beats. Some theories hold that the zortziko rhythm evolved from a 3/4 time signature that was deformed to more closely follow the beat structure of traditional Basque dance music.

The instrumentation typically used to execute the zortziko rhythm are the txistu and the tamboril.

Despite the zortziko's origins and continued popularity in folk music, some composers (including Aita Donostia, Jesús Guridi, Pablo Sorozábal, José María Usandizaga have also used it in symphonic works.

Further reading

• Ansorena Miner, José Ignacio. 1993. "El zortziko: La frase de ocho compases y el compás de cinco por ocho". Txistulari, no. 155 (July–September).
• Cronshaw, Andrew. 1990. "Trikitixa!". Folk Roots 11, no. 10:82 (April): 28–29, 31.
• Laborde, Denis. 2001. "Basque Music". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
• Sánchez Ekiza, Carlos. 1991a. "En torno al zortziko". Txistulari, no. 146 (July):44–53.
• Sánchez Ekiza, Carlos. 1991b. "En torno al zortziko". Cuadernos de etnología y etnografía de Navarra 23, no. 57 (January–June): 89–103.