The president of the Murga Los Desahuciados Association, Miguel Martín Morales, presented this Monday at its headquarters the XIX Edition of the Regional Murgas Encounter of Valterra, which will be held from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6 in the Plaza de Valterra. The event also included the participation of the Minister of Culture of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Jesús Machín Tavío, and the Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Festivities of the Arrecife City Council, Echedey Eugenio.
Having become a reference within the murguero panorama of the Canary Islands, the Encounter will bring together 20 adult and children's murgas from Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura, in a weekend dedicated to music, humor, and social criticism. “Since its creation, the Valterra Murgas Encounter has been growing in impact and participation. What began as a modest meeting, with the collaboration of the Murga Los Intoxicados in its first editions, has become a key festival for Carnival lovers,” said the president of Los Desahuciados.
In this same sense, Jesús Machín Tavío highlighted the relevance of this event, “an essential event for Carnival lovers and a reflection of the talent and creativity that characterize our groups. The Valterra Murgas Encounter has become a Canarian benchmark, which reinforces our identity and keeps the murguera tradition alive, promoting popular culture and festive roots on our island,” added the island's Minister of Culture.
For his part, Echedey Eugenio highlighted “the great organizational work that Los Deshauciados has carried out once again with the aim of offering us again an encounter that has become over these almost two decades a hallmark of one of the most important celebrations in the Canary Islands and that will undoubtedly be worth enjoying this weekend in the Plaza de Valterra as the culmination of our Carnival.”
In fact, as was revealed at the presentation ceremony, every year thousands of attendees enjoy the performances of the most outstanding murgas on the islands through this Encounter, turning Valterra into the epicenter of murguera culture for a weekend. The 2024 edition was even broadcast live through social networks, increasing its impact beyond the Archipelago.
Event Schedule:
Friday, April 4: At 8:30 p.m., the event will begin with a batucada performance, followed by the adult murgas of Lanzarote.
Saturday, April 5: From 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., a Children's Carnival will be held in which there will be several workshops, crafts and inflatables that will also have an accessible space for people with ASD, with two hours of carnival without music (from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.), as we believe that carnival should be for everyone. At 5:30 p.m., our beloved and important children's murgas will begin, with two guests from other islands and, later, the adult murgas invited from outside Lanzarote, together with the host Murga Los Desahuciados.
Sunday, April 6: The event will close with cultural and coexistence activities among the groups.
Organization and logistical support
The Murga Los Desahuciados Association, as the organizer of the event, is responsible for the logistics and attention to the participating groups, including the transportation, accommodation and maintenance of the invited murgas. In addition, commemorative plaques will be presented and the coverage of basic needs for the participants will be guaranteed.
Each edition of the Valterra Murgas Encounter is financed through small sponsorships, public aid and a raffle organized by the members of Los Desahuciados, which reflects the effort and commitment of this murga to keep this tradition alive.
About the Murga Los Desahuciados
The Murga Los Desahuciados, founded in 1997 in the Valterra neighborhood, is one of the most emblematic groups of the Carnival of Lanzarote. With a trajectory of more than 25 years, it has an extensive record in interpretation, lyrics, music and design.
This group, born in the bar of Bar Marino de Valterra, has demonstrated year after year its capacity for innovation and social criticism, remaining a benchmark in the world of murgas in the Canary Islands.
