Photos: Sergio Betancort
The XXXI Encuentro de Habaneras y Música del Mar "Braulio de León" (XXXI Habaneras and Sea Music Encounter "Braulio de León"), imbued the shore of the Charco de San Ginés with a marine atmosphere on the eve of the big day of the festivities. At 9:00 p.m., the first musical chords of the habanera "Salí de Jamaica" (I left Jamaica) began to sound, in the voices of the members of the Agrupación Folclórica Coros y Danzas Arrecife (Arrecife Choirs and Dances Folk Group). Stripped of the traditional clothing of the 18th and 19th centuries, they took to the stage, filling the first part of the encounter with a varied repertoire of songs with a marine tradition such as Querida Lola (Dear Lola), Niña Bonita (Pretty Girl), Nostalgia Marinera (Marine Nostalgia) and a medley dedicated to the Amigos de Portonao who could not participate in this edition. Coros y Danzas Arrecife won the affection of the public who very enthusiastically joined their voices and together sang and applauded each of the songs they performed. At the end, the Councilor for Youth, Elisabeth Merino, presented them with a sculpture in the shape of a sea coral.
Secondly, the members of the Catalan trio "Blau Mediterrá" took to the stage. With very soft voices typical for the interpretation of this genre, to which the chords of the guitars and the bass were added, managing to harmonize each of the songs they performed such as La Paloma (The Dove), Yo te diré (I will tell you), El abuelo (The grandfather) or A la sombra de un Palmar (In the shadow of a Palmar) among others. Blau Mediterrá was born in 1987 and since then they have taken the habaneras throughout the Catalan territory, Franco Catalan, Basque Country, Valencian Community and for the first time they are visiting the Canary Islands, performing in Lanzarote. The public following the Habaneras Encounter followed each of the themes very attentively, also joining them and thus supporting them from the capacity that once again was filled with a public eager to party. At the end of their performance, the Councilor for Education, Rosario González, presented them with a sculpture with marine purposes.
This XXXI edition, which did not feature the performance of the "Amigos de Portonao", promoters of the encounter, was represented by its director, José Borges Cabrera, a great connoisseur of everything related to the customs and traditions of the seafaring Arrecife and who every year from the stage made a call to the capital's authorities so that they would not allow the signs of identity to be lost and to achieve an Arrecife open to the sea. Borges, very excited from his seat, followed the development of the meeting very attentively. Before the end, the Councilor for Festivities, Nova Kirkpatrick, presented him with a sculpture, ending the event with a photographic session with the participating groups and authorities present. José Borges, accompanied by his wife, thanked for the expressions of affection and support received, leaving the premises.
