Photos: Sergio Betancort
The folklore of the Islands burst onto the streets of Uga this Saturday to trace the path of joy that led dozens of pilgrims to the facade of the church to honor San Isidro Labrador and leave at the foot of his figure fruits of the earth, non-perishable food and offerings in the form of touch, dance and poetry. The town's livestock tradition was also very present in the pilgrimage with camels and specimens from other ranches based in the Vallito de Uga.
More than a dozen touch and dance groups enlivened the tour, making people forget the cold wind of the afternoon - night. In addition to the folk groups and organized parrandas present, there were also many spontaneous parranderos, young people, adults and seniors, who encouraged the pilgrimage. This is the case of seven female students in the second and third years of ESO from the IES Yaiza who demonstrated their ability in singing and good work with the timple and guitar.
The performance of the parrandas and groups Los Encontrados, Labradores, El Requinto, Gaida, Guágaro, La Gran Aldea and Rubicón not only enlivened the tour with their music, but also gave the pilgrimage a colorful touch with their dance and costumes. Contagious by all of them, residents of Uga and visitors were encouraged to sing, even improvising racy lyrics. In this section, the group of seniors from Yaiza stood out, attended, float included, by monitors from the Area of Social Dynamization of the southern City Council.
The pilgrimage is a place of meeting and joy to which many tourists also integrate, even some dressed in typical costumes. Two Uruguayan women in Uga did not lose track of the route, moved by curiosity and interest in Canarian folklore, but also by their particular investigation of the family tree that brought them to Lanzarote in search of 'machines' and other surnames with which they might be related.
Everyone lives the pilgrimage in their own way and enjoys it and gives what they can. Benjamina Marrero, a poet from Las Breñas and a participant in many of the cultural and recreational activities that Yaiza organizes for its elders, gave San Isidro and the people of Uga heartfelt verses of her inspiration. Benjamina received a warm applause from the public and the gratitude of the mayoress of Yaiza, Gladys Acuña, present at the pilgrimage together with members of the municipal government group.
All the parrandas and folk groups performed in front of the church surrounded by the public who were waiting for the conclusion of the pilgrimage, however, the party continued on the stage of the fairgrounds at the expense of two parradas from the municipality: Los Salineros de La Hoya and Janubio.
The Councilor for Festivities of Yaiza, Javier Camacho, publicly thanks all the folklore groups, the group of camel drivers of Uga, residents of Yaiza and other municipalities of Lanzarote, for their participation in the pilgrimage of San Isidro Labrador, as well as the work carried out by the Local Police of Yaiza and Civil Protection.
