The municipality of San Bartolomé is celebrating its big festivities in honor of its Saint with a lot of public participation that very animatedly gathers at each of the events programmed by the municipal corporation.
On Friday night, in the tent installed in the Félix Rodríguez de La Fuente park, the XXII edition of the José María Gil Memorial took place with musical content dedicated to traditional Canarian songs and dances, also including music from Latin American countries. The 'Ajei Recognition for Folklore Work' has been established in the Memorial, as a reminder of the memory of José María Gil. José María Gil was a very recognized man in the world of folklore, he was the founder in 1943 of the always remembered Agrupación Folclórica Ajei, one of the most important in Lanzarote, winner of the International Festival of Popular Dance of Santander in August of 1960.
The XXII edition began with the performance of the Agrupación Folclórica Guadarfia de San Bartolomé directed by Tito Perera, a great defender of traditional music and dances, a student of José María Gil, carrying his legacy as a banner since the creation of Guadarfia. The group was born around 1978 and has been representing Lanzarote in regional festivals, pilgrimages, television programs and has crossed the pond to perform in the Canarian homes of Venezuela. The Agrupación Folclórica Guadarfia offered the best of traditional music and dances such as folías, isas, Seguidillas and malagueñas receiving the applause of the public as a prize.
The mayor of the San Bartolomé City Council, Isidro Pérez Martín, took the stage to thank the public for attending the scheduled events that they are enjoying with great enthusiasm and congratulated the family of the Agrupación Folclórica Guadarfia for their magnificent performance as a "worthy representative of the municipality" that he presides over. Regarding the 'Ajei 2024 Recognition', Pérez made an extensive overview of the Parranda Marinera de Buches and the reasons why the San Bartolomé City Council recognizes its legacy and makes them worthy of such a worthy distinction, at the end he invited Juan Antonio Machado Santana, president of Los Buches, to come on stage and together with the Councilor for Festivities, Estefanía Luzardo, present them with the award, at which point the public responded with applause.
Juan Antonio Machado, very excited, addressed those present thanking the mayor and members of the municipal corporation for the delivery of the 'Ajei 2024 Recognition'. The night continued with the show 'Haciendo caminos', a musical endorsed by the voices of Pedro Manuel Afonso, Ciro Corujo and Nayara Viñoly who were accompanied by Luis Montesdeoca on guitar and Daniel García - timple and requinto.
'Haciendo caminos', covers different musical genres and, as the name suggests, along the way they are collecting the most representative of each of those places on the other side of the Atlantic, without forgetting the song of Canarian roots. The three singers conquered the public who very animatedly hummed the choruses and even sang their songs, ending with an apotheotic finale to the rhythm of a parrandera isa.
