El Cabildo de Lanzarote has hosted this Tuesday the presentation of Raíces Atlánticas. Feria de las Tradiciones de Lanzarote y La Graciosa, a new cultural proposal that is born with the objective of celebrate the identity of the islands from an open, current and integrating perspective.
Under the slogan Come live what we are and what unites us, the event proposes a journey through the traditions, crafts, music, gastronomy, popular culture, and shared memory of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, also incorporating the cultural richness of those who today are part of island society.
The presentation featured the participation of the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort; the counselor of Crafts and Youth, Aroa Revelo; as well as the deputy mayor of Arrecife, Echedey Eugenio, as a collaborating city council in matters of cleaning, security, and municipal logistics, among other representatives of collaborating and sponsoring entities.
During his speech, the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, stressed that Raíces Atlánticas “is not just a fair to look at the past, but an invitation to recognize ourselves in a common history and to project towards the future that which defines us as a people”.
Betancort recalled that “Canary Islands has historically been a land of departure and arrival, a territory marked by emigration, by the link with America and by the capacity to integrate different cultures, accents and origins”. In this regard, he highlighted that “Lanzarote and La Graciosa are not explained from a single root, but from many roots that have grown looking at the Atlantic”.
The fair proposes a program designed for all audiences, with activities related to crafts, traditional and popular music, gastronomy, cultural expressions of Atlantic roots, trades, workshops, exhibitions, and participatory encounters. The objective is to generate a space for coexistence in which tradition dialogues with the multicultural reality of present-day Lanzarote.
The Minister of Craftsmanship and Youth, Aroa Revelo, stressed the importance of bringing traditions closer to new generations. “Raíces Atlánticas wants our young people to feel that tradition is not something alien or old, but a living part of who we are, that can be interpreted and continue to grow with them,” highlighting that “the alma mater of this project is craftsmanship,” she affirmed.
This first edition also has the support of the Ministry of Economic Promotion, headed by Nori Machín, and the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of Lanzarote, under the direction of Ángel Vázquez, who highlighted the project's connection with the island's cultural and landscape identity.
During the presentation, the deputy mayor of Arrecife, Echedey Eugenio, also spoke, thanking the commitment of all those involved, since "it also represents an opportunity to revitalize Arrecife, boost local economic activity and highlight the work of artisans, producers, creators and professionals linked to the island's culture and identity".
From Preventos Media, the organizing entity of the event, Abián García explained that the project is born with a vocation for continuity and with the intention of consolidating itself as a cultural event of reference in the island's calendar. "We want this fair to be a meeting point between generations, cultures, and sensibilities, where Canarian identity is celebrated through emotion, participation, and openness," he pointed out.
From May 13 to 16 in Arrecife
The programming of Raíces Atlánticas will take place from May 13 to 16 in different spaces of Arrecife, with activities designed for all audiences and focused on music, oral tradition, crafts, popular games, gastronomy, heritage, and cultural expressions linked to Lanzarote, La Graciosa, and their Atlantic connections.
The fair will start on Wednesday, May 13, with the inaugural act and the performance “Arife. Songs of Earth”, at 8:00 PM, in the Plaza de Las Palmas.
From that day on, the program will offer a wide range of cultural and participatory activities in spaces such as Parque José Ramírez Cerdá, Plaza de Las Palmas, La Recova, Casa de Los Arroyo, and Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz.
During Thursday, May 14, the programming will include workshops linked to traditional crafts, such as the traditional pottery workshop and the limpet tapping workshop, in addition to traditional games from the Canary Islands, heritage walks through Arrecife, oral tradition encounters, and a youth and senior wrestling match between C.L. Tao and C.L. Tías.
The event will also feature the musical proposal “De Portonao a La Graciosa”, with the participation of Fabiola Socas, Antonio Jorge Toledo, José Manuel Toledo, Raquel Álvarez and Juan Carlos Pérez, and will conclude with the performance of Acatife, under the title “Identidad”.
On Friday, May 15, the fair will continue with participatory activities such as the workshop “The thread that crosses the Atlantic”, the traditional cheese-making empleita workshop, new sessions of traditional games, heritage walks and oral tradition proposals such as “A night of legend”.
The programming will also incorporate cultural expressions of Atlantic and Latin American roots with “Soy Colombia”, by La Diosa del Sabor and Acciones Unidas, as well as exhibitions and workshops of the Juego de la Lata. Music will have a prominent role with the performance of A.F. Coros y Danzas de Arrecife and the concert by Taburiente, who will arrive at Raíces Atlánticas with their show “50 años y +”.
On Saturday, May 16, the programming will open in the morning with family and educational proposals, such as the workshop “Tifinagh Pendant”, promoted by the Juan Brito Foundation, and the recognition of the children's and youth work of Félix Hormiga in the activity “One island, many stories”, with the participation of Atchen Pounapal, Lola Suárez, Marcos Hormiga, Elsa López and Ernesto Rodríguez Abad, and music by Ayoze Rodríguez and Alexis Lemes.
The day will also include exhibitions of shepherd's leap, stick fighting, and can game, performances by parrandas, rosette workshops, heritage walks, oral tradition with “Romances del Atlántico”, music from the Tías Municipal Music School, and scenic proposals such as “Entre Isas y Mañas”, with Los Campesinos, Ignacio Romero, and Lucha Canaria. The fair will close its musical program with the performance of Bohemia Lanzarote.
In addition to the daily activities, Raíces Atlánticas will have several permanent spaces during the celebration days. Among them, the Gastronomic Zone, located in José Ramírez Cerdá Park; the "Sabores del Puerto" route, in which bars and restaurants in the area will offer tapas made with kilometer zero products; the educational space "Juego al Campesino", dedicated to agricultural heritage; and the Traditional Craft Market, in La Recova.
The program is completed with the exhibition “Sonidos Vagabundos”, which can be visited at the Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz from May 13 to June 13, and with “Portonao Escénico”, an audiovisual projection that will take place in the Plaza de Las Palmas from May 13 to 16.
*Activities requiring prior registration can be booked through raicesatlanticas.com starting May 6th at 9:00 AM.
Raíces Atlánticas, Fair of the Traditions of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, is organized by Preventos Media and has the collaboration/sponsorship of Gobierno de Canarias, Cabildo de Lanzarote, Centros de Arte, Cultura y Turismo de Lanzarote, SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote, Instituto Canario de Desarrollo Cultural, Ayuntamiento de Arrecife and other entities.