Aita Donostia: The Franciscan Spirit and the Avant-Garde

The year 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. This commemoration invites us to return to an idea that deeply shaped the life and work of Aita Donostia (José Gonzalo Zulaica Arregi): in his worldview, music, spirituality, and an open relationship with the world were never separate compartments. As Jorge de Riezu noted, Donostia conceived his vocation under the Franciscan ideal of the "jongleur of God"—a principle harmonizing the rigorous exploration of folk roots, spiritual depth, and an insatiable curiosity toward the musical currents transforming Europe.

For this reason, the fourth edition of the Festival Aita Donostia does not approach cultural heritage as a relic in a display case. We wish to enter his living universe through the creators with whom he engaged in dialogue, discovering how a melody gathered in a Basque valley travels, transforms within the Parisian avant-garde, and returns enriched with new meanings.