The General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage has created the sound series Canarian Tales and Legends on Spotify to rescue the oral tradition of the Canary Islands with popular stories such as that of the Garoé Tree, Roberto's Wall or the Devil of Timanfaya. These legends have shaped the collective imagination of Canarian society for centuries, which is why now, through fourteen episodes about some of the most representative traditional tales of the archipelago, society will be able to enjoy and get to know them in depth.
The podcast, promoted within the program Identitaria Canarias through the Canarian Institute of Cultural Development (ICDC), is based on an immersive narration where original music and immersive sounds invite the listener to explore the scene of these popular stories that are usually linked to rocks, ravines, mountains, springs, and paths, among other natural elements.
"Oral tradition is a fundamental part of our cultural heritage," declares the general director of Culture and Cultural Heritage, Miguel Ángel Clavijo. In this case, the audio format "is perfect for disseminating and, above all, for preserving those popular stories that have been transmitted from generation to generation" and that today "continue to be an important pillar of our identity," he assures.
Each island has two episodes dedicated to some of these legends that make up the collective imagination of the Canary Islands:
El Hierro: “Agarfa and the legend of Garoé” and “The lame mule”
La Palma: “The Lover's Leap”and “Roberto's wall”
La Gomera: “The guardian of Ansosa” and “The Epina Streams”
Tenerife: “Guayota, the demon of Teide” and “The flower of Chasna”
Gran Canaria: “The Laurel Path” and “The Oroval flower”
Fuerteventura: “The distrustful husband” and “The Curse of Laurinaga”
Lanzarote: “The Devil of Timanfaya” and “Princess Ico”
The episodes, approximately eight minutes long, are narrated by Juan Gabriel Santiago Casañas or Silvia Bautista Quintana with the interventions of Begoña Perera Cruz. It is a project produced by the company specialized in cultural and heritage management “El Til, Ocio Activo y Cultura” under the editing of José Luis Gómez González (DISCAN) and the original music by Alberto Santana Caballero. Regarding the illustrations for each installment, they have been developed by the artist Neviller Hechavarría Chamorro.
Identitarian Canaries
In addition to the podcast “Canarian Tales and Legends”, the program Identitaria Canarias (2023-2026) develops actions and activities aimed at analyzing the concept of identity in the islands from different perspectives, among which stand out the line of publications, exhibitions, creative contests, and field studies.
Ultimately, the Government of the Canary Islands intends with this framework project to investigate, analyze, promote and disseminate, through various scientific and artistic disciplines, as well as fields of knowledge, the Canarian identity of the 21st century.