The family of the Guagime Folklore Group of Tahíche celebrated this Friday its XII Folklore Festival in the Santiago El Mayor sociocultural center framed in the patron saint festivities of Santiago Apóstol and Santa Ana.
This year the festival was called 'The Two Shores of the Sea' and precisely began with a marine staging, a casual encounter between women and men of the sea, to give way to the musical group invited in this edition 'Mestre D'Aixa' from Vilassar de Mar (Catalonia).
This group was formed in 1982 completely improvised on the occasion of a popular festival and in 1986 it became professional and adopted the name 'Mestre D'Aixa' (Master of Ribera). Although during these years there have been several changes in the composition of the group, it has always retained the original scheme of its formation; mixed voices, accordion and guitars accompanied by percussion instruments. Its particular style combines the habanera and marine rhythms with traditional and popular song with pieces of its own composition and adaptations in Catalan.
'Mestre D'Aixa' began its performance interpreting 'Rosina', a popular habanera continuing with La Paloma, La caña Dulce, among others. During their performance with a marine flavor, the 5 members conquered the audience who very animatedly accompanied them with some of the refrains ending their performance with the habanera 'La Bella Lola', receiving as a prize the best of applause.
The second part of the festival was enlivened by the organizers, the family of the Guagime Folklore Group of Tahíche. Group composed of women and men, young people committed and very excited to keep alive the traditions of our Canary Island. Guagime in its performance opted to bring to the stage the most traditional songs and dances of the 8 Canary Islands such as Berlina Herreña, Seguidillas de Gran Canaria, La Danza del Trigo, Santo Domingo Gomero among others also putting marine sounds such as Folías al Mar and a Popurrí Marinero.
They finished their performance with two encores at the request of the public with two popular songs such as Mi tierra Guanche and the Paseíto de Don Tomás, songs that were sung and danced completely also by the public who rewarded their performance with their applause.
Guagime distinguishes 'Amigos de Portonao' with the 'Silver Badge'
In this XII Festival Guagime distinguished with its highest award the 'Silver Badge', to the musical group 'Amigos de Portonao'. Group that was presented to society in 1984, a great event that blew up the stitches of the folklore of the time that was clearly peasant and that have maintained over the years. Sincerity, cleanliness, tradition, a great truth carried and carries the group to show the strong and ancient anchorage of the arrecifeños with the sea. Amigos de Portonao have recorded two albums. Velas y Vientos del Pasado and Entre Mástiles y Volcanes, two treasures that 'Amigos de Portonao' have left as a legacy to the traditional marine culture of Arrecife and the Canary Islands.
During the act of recognition a video was projected where the public could enjoy some passages of the extensive journey that over so many years the 'Amigos de Portonao' have taken through the stages of Lanzarote enriched with historical texts. Once the video projection was finished, 5 members of 'Amigos de Portonao' went on stage and were received with applause and immediately the president of the Guagime Folklore Group presented them with the 'Silver Badge'.
