Kimera Band, Suso y Familia, Los Walkinayros or Mambo Riko, are some of the orchestras that have been forgotten over the years.
Today, only one has managed to survive the great competition from DJs, groups from other islands and a global pandemic: Rikabanda. "We have been going since 2007, now there are no more official full-fledged orchestras," says José Domingo, president of Rikabanda. "The orchestras have been completely lost."
A complicated organization and coordination
One of the orchestras that did not manage to survive the pandemic was Mambo Riko. "We stopped playing due to the impossibility of getting 13 people to agree to rehearse," says a former member of the orchestra. "We also added that we lost the rehearsal venue and it was very difficult for us to find another place where they would let us play until two in the morning," he adds.
All of this hampered the continuation of the orchestra, but finally it was the pandemic that "ended up killing all options of returning".
"We left the Walkinayros orchestra because we were tired, it was not easy to lead a group with so many people," explains Manuel, president of Los Conejeros.
For his part, Acorán, former member of Suso y Familia, explains that his orchestra also dissolved due to "complications when coordinating rehearsals". "We couldn't reach the level of quality we wanted, so we decided to leave it."
"In Lanzarote it is practically impossible to live from orchestras, all the members have to look for another job, so if you want to open up the market and play in Fuerteventura, squaring the work schedules of everyone is very complicated," adds Acorán.
In addition, he insists that "they did not disappear due to lack of calls", far from it, although he admits that "a while ago you could do 40 festivals in a year and now if you reach 10 it is a miracle". Clotildo, president of Lanzarote Swing, insists that there used to be more orchestras in Lanzarote and, surprisingly, "there was more work". "Before you earned much more and played every weekend and there was more competition, things have gone worse," he says.
The competition: DJs and orchestras from outside
However, several orchestra presidents do denounce the lack of institutional support for local groups and insist on the importance of betting on Lanzarote's culture.
"Just as parrandas are supported so that traditions are not lost, the festival councilors have to be tactful with this, and if they know that something is being lost, then support it a little more so that it does not disappear," explains the president of Rikabanda. "It's good to bring people from outside, because many sound incredible, but you always have to put something from here".
Clotildo, the president of Lanzarote Swing, agrees that "politicians are giving more and more space to DJs" and complains that they "can play every weekend in discos, while orchestras only at specific parties". "These last years have been very hard and not only because of the coronavirus pandemic, but because of the politicians' pandemic".
"Not counting on the orchestras gives way to only canned music, which I also like, but you have to maintain the cultures," explains José Domingo. "I don't take part of the blame, maybe I could have done more, but it is true that many times they don't call you because the town hall prefers a DJ or a trio, which is cheaper."
Likewise, Clotildo points out that "bringing orchestras from outside involves a greater expense for the town halls", since they have to "take care of the costs of accommodation, food and even transport, as well as pay them a higher fee", but even so, "the town halls prefer not to save the money".
"I don't understand it," confesses Manuel. "It seems that bringing them from outside revalues the councilor who brings them, as if they were better that way", says the president of Lanzarote Swing. "I'm from here, I've earned this the hard way and they don't call me, it's normal that the orchestras end up dissolving."
For his part, the president of Rikabanda points out that in other parts of Spain "they do try to maintain the local culture."
"A clear example is Fuerteventura, they have called me to play there in the summer and there the orchestras play in any event, even a tapas fair, it happens the same in the rest of the islands," says José Domingo. "I remember that before here at any party they called an orchestra, practically every weekend, but it has been lost."
Acorán adds that to play in this type of event sometimes "you have to be self-critical and not blame the town halls entirely". "The orchestras have to adapt their repertoires if they want to go to other events such as the tapas fair, they have to play music that interests that public so that they call them," says the former member of Suso y Familia. "Many go out in a hurry and in the end that generates that they are not called."
The controversy of the carnivals
With the gradual elimination of coronavirus restrictions, the groups of Lanzarote began to rehearse with enthusiasm for the carnivals, but they did not receive any calls to perform, neither for the day carnival in Arrecife, nor for the one in Playa Blanca.
"They didn't call me," says José Domingo. "I sent messages to find out if they were going to count on us and they never answered me, they decided to bring people from outside."
"The new councilor told me that the problem was that the orchestras were already hired from last year by the previous councilor, so she couldn't intervene so that we could perform," explains Clotildo, president of Lanzarote Swing. "They told me that they couldn't do anything because a company from Fuerteventura was in charge of it."
"I think the issue is that they left it in the hands of producers from other islands, and of course, the normal thing is that they bring orchestras that they know," adds Manuel, member of Los Conejeros.
"Those who run this are shameless, they are destroying the orchestras of Lanzarote," assures Clotildo. "If the DJs were hired, then you leave them and add an orchestra on each stage and they take turns, but they are lying to us on all sides, they are playing with my work."
Young talent abandons
With this "demotivating" premise, young musicians look for alternatives to stay afloat in this market, but without neglecting their passion: music.
"If you don't encourage musicians with performances, people get tired and that causes no quarry to be created, that children don't see you and it is gradually lost," says the president of Rikabanda.
"The truth is that here in Lanzarote there is a very good level of musicians, especially percussionists and trumpeters," explains Manuel, member of Los Conejeros. "The problem is the usual one, that people get bored and tired of rehearsing every week, without having closed dates."
"I feel very sorry for the young people who are in the music school learning to play instruments and then they don't have job opportunities here," says Clotildo. "We are in the worst time in terms of orchestras, not counting the pandemic."
Many musicians cannot resist the attractive offers of orchestras from other islands, and even from other autonomous communities, such as Galicia.
"Our musicians are called by other orchestras and groups to play in them, and many end up going to Fuerteventura or Galicia", says the president of Rikabanda. "They prefer to leave because the situation in Lanzarote is stagnant, there they have work and a guaranteed salary."
On the other hand, some young members see hotels as a much more attractive job opportunity, as they offer performances on a regular basis.
"We were an orchestra before, but my daughters ended up changing it for singing in hotels," says Clotildo, president of Lanzarote Swing. "My daughter told me "dad, why am I going to rehearse if they don't call us later", in addition to the fact that it took them up to six months to pay us."
Clotildo insists that working singing in hotels is "much more profitable", and adds that his daughters now have performances "practically every day", adds the president of Lanzarote Swing.
New orchestras in sight
However, they say that after the storm the sun always comes out and, after two years of stoppage due to the pandemic, a group of young musicians from the island has created a new orchestra: Mambo Latino.
From the orchestra they confirm that they already have closed dances for the summer, but we will still have to wait a bit to hear how this new group sounds. "Honestly, I think it's great that they are setting up a new orchestra in Lanzarote," says the president of Rikabanda.
On the other hand, Acorán, former member of Suso y Familia, assures that another group is being "cooked" on the Island. "With the pandemic, the musicians were quite discouraged because we knew that it was not worth rehearsing because we could not play anywhere," says Acorán. "But now people are trying to start again and with great enthusiasm."
In addition, Manuel and Clotildo do not rule out returning to the orchestra scene, resuming the Walkinayros and Kimera Band, although for the moment they prefer to see how the situation evolves in the summer.
"We are in the process of resuming the Walkinayros, but with small concerts of about two hours in some societies, but already for next year," Manuel anticipates.
For his part, Clotildo continues singing with his orchestra Los Jarvac at small events, more focused on a veteran audience, with merengue and cumbias from the 80s, but does not rule out resuming Kimera Band. "If we see that the situation improves and that they call us a lot this summer, maybe we will include a trumpet and a saxophone and reassemble the Kimera Band orchestra, but it is a lot of work," explains Clotildo. "If we knew for sure that they are going to count on us, we would invest the time."
Finally, Rikabanda is now focused on returning to the stage and releasing new songs. "I want to continue with the Rikabanda orchestra, despite the difficulties because I have my heart set here," confesses José Domingo. "I would like the orchestra to go further, but for the moment I want to focus on reaching people with new songs and that is done with a lot of work".