The island of La Graciosa will once again become the epicenter of the timple in the Canary Islands next May with the musical encounter that will take place for the twelfth year on the 9th and 10th in Caleta del Sebo. The square of the small island will host the XII edition of the La Graciosa Timple Encounter which, on this occasion, brings together Pedro Umpiérrez from Majorca and David Duque from Tenerife on its program.
The program of the XII edition of the La Graciosa Timple Encounter, produced by Estudios Multitrack with the sponsorship of the Teguise City Council, the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development of the Government of the Canary Islands and Binter, with the collaboration of Cicar and Líneas Romero, also includes the exhibition 'Imaginario', by the luthier David Sánchez, which will be exhibited in the Socio-Cultural Center on May 9 and 10, as well as the didactic concert that will be held on May 9, at 11:00 a.m., which will bring the little ones closer to the singularities of the most popular instrument of the popular musical tradition of the Canary Islands, the timple, and the so-called Chinija Fair, which will take place on the 10th, between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Avenida del Caleta del Sebo. All planned activities are free of charge.
Program
Pedro Umpiérrez will perform on May 9, while the stage set up in the Plaza de Caleta del Sebo will host the David Duque concert the following day. Both recitals are held at 8:30 p.m.
Umpiérrez does not remember exactly when he started playing the 'timplillo', as he likes to call it. His father, Domingo Umpiérrez Chacón "El Cuco", linked to the world of folklore and improvisation with whom he participates in revelries as a young man, introduces him to the instrument. He studied with Blas Sánchez, Javier Cerpa, David León or 'el Colorao'. However, he considers himself self-taught who seeks with the timple “a clean sound”. Jazz, and especially his fascination with improvisation, gives him new tools that he adapts to the timple, opening other musical horizons and consolidating new forms of expression.
He has instruments from the well-known master from Gran Canaria, Andrés from 1991 and from the luthier David Sánchez, “because his pieces go beyond functionality, breaking the script of what is established,” he comments. Umpiérrez, in addition to developing his solo career, has collaborated with the bands Rupatrupa, Sal Om Free and Bendjembé, among others. He also collaborates in projects such as Calle Viana and Madai, where the essence of the flamenco root is more prominent. As a producer, he stands out in Proyecto ANTI, fusing folklore and rap in albums such as Fundamento (2020). He is also co-producer of Arife, a project that explores the connection between the Canary Islands and the Amazigh culture.
For his part, David Duque from Tenerife will formulate in his performance a musical journey that gives rise to a sound dialogue that highlights the mutual influence of the different musics that have shaped the history of the timple, always starting from the root and paying tribute to the great authors of the past such as José Antonio Ramos or Miguel Ángel Negrín, as well as giving life to new creations that, in some way, give a more modern projection to the five-string instrument. Duque works on the transcription, adaptation and composition of works for solo timple, including it in chamber music formats in the academic field. Timple teacher at the Villa de la Orotava Municipal School of Music and Dance since 2018, he published the album 'Dialogue between roots' in 2022.
This musical event held in La Graciosa, promoted for the first time in 2013, has served to highlight the possibilities of the small string instrument most representative of the Canary Islands in the hands of the best players of different generations. From Benito Cabrera to David Rodríguez “El Majorero”, passing through Josele del Pino, Liana Llauger, Alberto Delgado, Alexis Lemes, Laura Martel, José Vicente Pérez, Fran Baraja, Achimencey Toledo, Félix Morales or Domingo Rodríguez 'el Colorao' and his daughter, Julia Rodríguez, among others, have already passed through its stage.
