Photos: Domingo Hernández
The Guanapay Folk Group celebrated the XXI edition of its festival and the jury's decision of the XXI Couplets contest on Friday night at the Santo Domingo convent in Teguise.
The event began at 9:30 p.m. with the musical chords of the El Mejunje band, who came from Gran Canaria. Founded in 2007, its eleven members made the audience enjoy a varied repertoire of Latin American rhythms, ending with an isa parrandera to which the very animated audience joined in the refrains.
Next, Rayco Hernández with his timple and Samuel Súarez on guitar took the stage. They performed a malagueña to which three young soloists who are part of other folk groups on the island, such as Sofía Gil from Malpaís de la Corona, Izan Ortega from Los Campesinos and Alejandro Betancort from Acatife, added their voices. The audience rewarded them with a warm and prolonged ovation.
Next, the president of the jury, Francisco Hernández Delgado, announced the decision corresponding to the XXI edition of the Couplets Contest. The best couplet was "Señora Mía", sent by Concepción Betancort, awarded with 300 euros and a batch of books. Emilio Fernández Batista was proclaimed the winner of the best set of couplets, awarded with 400 euros and a batch of books.
This year the festival was dedicated to "The Guardians of Traditions", to all those women and also men who, despite the little support they receive from institutions and society, continue zealously trying to prevent them from being lost in time.
The Guanapay organizing family brought the festival to a close by offering the most representative of our traditional songs and dances.