Text: Francisco José Navarro
After nineteen years without recording, "Amigos de Portonao" gives us a magnificent record, a continuation of their first work " Velas y Vientos del Pasado", a work that was recorded in the year 1987 on a vinyl record accompanied by a broad and enriching book with texts and photographs of Old Arrecife. A careful work, for all of us who had the opportunity to get it and enjoy it for our cultural enrichment, which allowed us to learn much more about the history of the men of the sea and also of our city and seaside coast.
Last Friday, July 14, in the lush gardens and next to the pool of the first hotel installation in Lanzarote, Hotel Fariones of the Rosa Group, in front of family, friends, sponsors and authorities, Amigos de Portonao carried out the presentation of their new album, now recorded on CD. "Entre mástiles y volcanes" includes 16 songs with the most Portonao-style seafaring style in which you can hear from the famous "Paseito de don Tomás" following with folias and seguidillas rondeñas or the nostalgic habaneras, where the careful voices of its soloists and the musical accompaniment, in which the accordion stands out, give even more seafaring flavor.
This gift from Amigos de Portonao is not only the CD, since it is accompanied by a booklet with a rich literary content, in which we find very old texts that lead us to know the other side that the man of the sea had to live. The introduction and prologue, the contradanza and the habanera in Lanzarote, the figure of the man of the countryside or the canto rondeño are some of the themes that are present in the latest work of Amigos de Portonao. And memories of the island's history to Timplillo Conejero, to the Maestro de Salinas Víctor Fernández Gopar, writings carefully written with the care of a teacher in love, José Borges Cabrera, a fighter concerned that history remains alive and that we all become aware that a people without history is a people called to oblivion.
Also in this new work of Amigos de Portonao you can see some beautiful photographs that speak for themselves of what the Arrecife Marinero was with the Bay of Portonao full of sloops and sailboats; with salt flats in full production and a Bella Lucía pride of the Lanzarote fleet, which, thanks to the enthusiasm of the businessman Don Juan Francisco Rosa, today sails again our Atlantic with all its majesty, this gift that Amigos de Portonao puts in our hands reminds us of what the parties were like in the oldest way or the fighting fields improvised by the parties and the memory of the always longed for Recoba Municipal.
After so long today it is a reality to be able to enjoy this jewel that Amigos de Portonao puts in our hands, a work that they have taken care of with great care for the enjoyment of all lovers of our culture and traditions. Therefore, today we can continue preserving part of our legacy.