The Rancho de Pascuas Archinech from Tinajo participated, representing the municipality of Tinajo and Lanzarote in the "Encounter of Ranchos de Ánimas y Pascuas", held last Friday in the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pino in La Villa Mariana de Teror. The only three Ranchos de Ánimas that exist today on the island of Gran Canaria participated in the meeting, Rancho de Ánimas de La Aldea de San Nicolás, Valsequillo and Arbejales de Teror.
The meeting began with the parade that the Rancho de Pacuas de Tinajo made through the Real de Teror street until reaching the Basilica and beginning its performance with a repertoire of its own for these dates and which was highly applauded by the public. Immediately afterwards, the Rancho de Ánimas de la Aldea de San Nicolás also made its entrance, also called Los Panderos due to the large number of these instruments it uses. It is a worthy representative of the Ranchos of western Gran Canaria, Artenara, Tejeda, Gáldar or Mogán. Like other ranches in this area, it disappeared in the mid-20th century, but fortunately, thanks to the determination of some villagers and within the Community Development Project, it was reborn from its ashes in 1991.
The third place went to the Rancho de Ánimas de Valsequillo, this ranch is basically made up of men, but it is also worth highlighting the presence of children, a very important quarry, generally relatives of the adults who ensure generational change, and as a novel factor, the incorporation of some women in recent years.
The fourth place of the night was for the organizing ranch. The Rancho de Ánimas de Arbejales - Teror composed of about 25 people, half women, and some of them, Cantadoras de Alante (soloist). Most of its members have lived the Rancho since their childhood and have had relatives in it, the average age is quite high and generational change is their biggest problem.
The most common theme of the Ranchos de Ánimas when singing is that of the Ánimas and Purgatory, especially when improvising about the deceased of the people who have given alms, although it is common to refer to the life of the saints and virgins, passages from the life of Jesus or avatars and concerns (boyfriends, emigration, diseases or thanks.
The attending public was able to enjoy one of the oldest ancestral manifestations known in the Canary Islands. The act ended with the exchange of gifts by the participating ranches and the closing of the same by the mayor of La Villa Mariana de Teror, José Luis Báez, who thanked the ranches for their participation, encouraging them to continue with these ancestral manifestations and the public present for their support with their applause.