Acatife once again moved Teguise with a brilliant XXXII Festival full of history, tradition, and Canarian sentiment.
Within the program of events for the festivities in honor of Nuestra Señora del Carmen of La Villa de Teguise, the Popular Music Group Acatife reunited with its audience to celebrate one of the most anticipated events of the Lanzarote cultural summer; its XXXII Festival, an evening where music, memory, and sentiment towards Canarian traditions merged into a spectacle of extraordinary quality.
Faithful to a tradition that is already part of the cultural heritage of La Villa, the large Acatife family chose the municipal tent of Teguise as the stage to offer a festival that, once again, registered a magnificent attendance of the public. Followers and lovers of folklore attended punctually to share a night full of emotions, memories, and good music.
On the occasion of this thirty-second edition, the group's management prepared a journey through the history of Acatife from its beginnings at the festival, back in 1992, projecting a selection of images and videos that brought back unforgettable moments from the group's extensive career. Those snapshots evoked nostalgia among the attendees, who once again remembered performances, experiences, and people who have contributed to writing the history of one of the most representative groups of Lanzarote folklore.
At nine o'clock on Friday night, the thirty members who make up the group were received with a warm and prolonged ovation. Under the musical direction of Alejandro Machín and Juan Ramón González, and with the vocal direction by professor Elías Roldán, the first chords of the cheerful "Isa de Sal y Salinas" began to sound, a song that opened a carefully curated repertoire composed of some of the most emblematic songs included in the eight discographic works released by the group, along with new compositions that were enthusiastically welcomed by the public.
The impeccable staging, interpretive rigor, and vocal and instrumental quality once again highlighted the excellent artistic moment that Acatife is going through, a group founded in 1983 in La Villa de Teguise with a very defined objective; to research, conserve, and disseminate the rich musical heritage of the Canary Archipelago. Since then, the group has managed to keep its principles intact, opting for its own compositions, unpublished pieces deeply rooted in identity and Canarian-ness, becoming a benchmark within the insular folklore scene.
Throughout the performance, an extraordinary atmosphere prevailed. The audience was not a mere spectator, but an active participant who accompanied many of the interpretations with applause, choruses, and constant displays of affection towards the musicians and soloists, creating a perfect communion between the stage and the stalls that turned the night into a true folklore festival.
One of the most emotional moments of the evening came with the presentation of the "Volcán de Plata" (Silver Volcano), the highest recognition annually awarded by the Acatife Cultural Association during its festival to distinguish individuals, groups, or institutions that stand out for their work in favor of the conservation, promotion, and defense of Canarian folklore and traditions.
As usual, before announcing the name of the awardee, an emotional audiovisual presentation of their career was projected, arousing deep emotion among those present. The anticipation gave way to a thunderous ovation when it was announced that, this edition, the "Volcán de Plata" was awarded to the historic program "Tenderete" of Televisión Española in Canarias, an undisputed benchmark of traditional and popular music of the Canary Archipelago.
The award was collected by Don Cipriano Almeida, who directed the program for nineteen years and received the recognition from the emotional president of Acatife, Alejandro Cabrera. Both shared a sincere and heartfelt embrace that was reciprocated by a long, warm, and thunderous ovation from the audience, in one of the most solemn and emotional moments of the night.
Visibly moved, Don Cipriano Almeida thanked Acatife for the distinction, highlighting the honor of receiving a recognition that symbolizes the permanent commitment to the defense of the roots, culture, and identity of the Canarian people.
The celebration continued with new interpretations that kept the enthusiasm of the attendees intact until the final flourish. On their feet, musicians and the public united their voices to perform "Canto a la Tierra," a song that once again became a true anthem of love for the Canary Islands and that put the final touch on an unforgettable evening, filled with emotion, identity, and deep feeling.
Once again Acatife demonstrated that it remains much more than a popular music group. It is a large family that, generation after generation, continues to work with dedication, humility, and passion to keep the legacy of Canarian folklore alive. The best reward for that effort was once again reflected in the affection of the public, in the respect earned over more than four decades of trajectory, and in the prolonged applause that bid farewell to a new edition of a festival that is already part of the cultural history of Lanzarote.
Thus passed an unforgettable night, where music once again became the best language to celebrate our roots and where Acatife reaffirmed, once again, its firm commitment to the conservation and dissemination of the musical soul of the Canary Islands.
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