Atlantic Roots, the first edition of the Lanzarote and La Graciosa Traditions Fair, was inaugurated this Wednesday in Arrecife with an event held in Plaza de Las Palmas, also known as Plaza de San Ginés, in which music, words, memory, and identity were the protagonists.
The inauguration focused on the show Cantos de Tierra, by Arife, a musical proposal that connected Canarian folklore with the Amazigh root in a dialogue between the ancestral and the contemporary.
A journey through the cultural memory of the Canary Islands
On stage, the Canarian ensemble displayed a sonority marked by traditional instruments such as the timple, chácaras, lapas, and bucio, along with the use of Canarian Spanish and the Tamazight language, in a staging conceived as a journey through the cultural memory of the original peoples of the Archipelago and the African continent.
Cantos de Tierra thus proposed an emotional journey through identity, land, and living word, in which malagueñas, romances, and folías coexisted with current languages such as rap, reinforcing the spirit of a fair that is born under the motto “Come and celebrate what we are and what unites us”.
The opening day of the fair was attended by the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, who highlighted the value of this new cultural event as a space to recognize those who keep the island's traditions alive. “There is something that cannot be fully explained with words. Something that happens when we hear a timple, an isa, an old voice, a parranda, a piece of our folklore. Something is activated in memory, in emotion, and in the heart, and it reminds us of one very clear thing: this must never be lost,” he pointed out.
In this regard, Betancort thanked the work of the artisans, musicians, folklore groups, researchers, cultural collectives, and people linked to the transmission of popular memory, as well as the involvement of the organization, and the participating institutions and entities.
“From the Cabildo de Lanzarote, we are clear: we will continue to bet on our culture, on our traditions, and on all the creators who keep them alive every day,” he affirmed.
After the inaugural event, the audience present could also enjoy Portonao Escénico, an outdoor audiovisual projection that drew on the San Ginés church a piece conceived to reframe the community's relationship with the port and its cultural legacy.
The programming for this weekend
The programming for Raíces Atlánticas will continue this Thursday, May 14, with an intense day of activities in different spaces of Arrecife. Among the planned proposals are the traditional pottery and conch shell workshops, the family space Juego al Campesino, the Traditional Games of the Canary Islands, the heritage route Arrecife, fishing city, the oral tradition session Historias de tres orillas, the performance De Portonao a La Graciosa, the wrestling match at the Terrero Escénico, and the concert Identidad, by Acatife, in the José Ramírez Cerdá Park.
On Friday, the fair will add new activities related to crafts, popular culture, and music, with proposals such as the workshop El hilo que cruza el Atlántico, the traditional cheese wrapper making workshop, the route Sal y arte, paisajes de Arrecife, the workshop and exhibition of Juego de la Lata, the session Una noche de leyenda, the performance of La Diosa del Sabor, by Soy Colombia, the participation of the A.F. Coros y Danzas Arrecife, and the concert of Taburiente 50 años y +, one of the highlights of the musical program.
On Saturday, the programming will bring together some of the most popular and visually appealing proposals, including the family workshop Colgante Tifinagh, the introductory workshop on rosette making, the shepherd's leap exhibition, the exhibition of juego de palo and juego de lata, the proposal Una isla, muchos cuentos, the Isa de Lanzarote, the parrandas of Los Toledo, El Golpito and Pal’ Porrón, Romances del Atlántico, the performance of the Municipal Music School of Tías, the show Entre Isas y Mañas, and the musical closing by Bohemia Lanzarote.
During all these days, the fair will also coexist with permanent proposals such as the exhibition Sonidos Vagabundos, at the Agustín de la Hoz House of Culture; the Traditional Craft Market, at La Recova; the Sabores del Puerto gastronomic route, in bars and restaurants in the area; the Gastronomic Zone of the José Ramírez Cerdá Park; the Heritage Walks through different enclaves of Arrecife; and the oral tradition sessions at the Casa de Los Arroyo.
Atlantic Roots, Fair of Traditions of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, is organized by Preventos Media and has the sponsorship of the Government of the Canary Islands, Cabildo of Lanzarote, Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism of Lanzarote, SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote, Canarian Institute of Cultural Development, and the collaboration of the Arrecife City Council and other entities.
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