- The event included the premiere of the musical and choreographic show Attindamana — The sound of a people, the heartbeat of an island
- The production involved more than 500 artists, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, folk groups and avant-garde artists
- The new edition of After Hours: The Mixtape, led by DJ Saot ST, a renowned producer and filmmaker, was also premiered
The islands have appeared on maps for centuries. From tonight, Gran Canaria also has a new sound and emotional map, thanks to the legacy left by the Festival La Isla de Mi Vida and, more specifically, by the major musical, choreographic and theatrical production Attindamana — The sound of a people, the heartbeat of an island. Premiered in Plaza de Santa Ana, the show paid contemporary tribute to the identity of the island’s 21 municipalities, with the involvement of more than 500 artists.
Indeed, this Friday, 29 May, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria transformed Plaza de Santa Ana, in the island capital, into a sounding board for the artistic depth that Gran Canaria holds. The programme also highlighted the strong connection between roots firmly anchored in tradition and the open horizon of contemporary creation, a combination that defines both the history and the present of Gran Canaria.
“What we witnessed today is a major musical expression of what is currently being created in Gran Canaria, one that will leave a lasting artistic legacy and a portrait of the territory through art,” said the president of the Cabildo, Antonio Morales, in Plaza de Santa Ana. He was accompanied by the Councillor for Economic Development, Minerva Alonso.
The president of the Cabildo also thanked the teams from the Department of Economic Development, Infecar as the organising body, Fedac, the Presidency Department and the production company Una Hora Menos, as well as the more than 500 artists and researchers involved in Attindamana and, more broadly, the entire team that made the Festival La Isla de Mi Vida possible. The project takes over from and expands the concept of the former Canariona Festival.
The event began at 7:30 p.m. in Parque de San Telmo, where a parade set off along Calle Triana towards Plaza de Santa Ana, with the Banda de Firgas and the Papahuevos. This served as the prelude to Attindamana, a large-scale production directed by a collective creative team that worked by building connections between different artists. The core creative and directing team included Mario Vega, Belén Álvarez LAJALADA, Víctor Batista, Ner Suárez, Manuel Abrante, Ruth Sánchez and Javier Cerpa.
Attindamana stands as an ambitious and determined commitment to a key goal: to create a new and lasting repertoire for Canarian popular music. Beyond a one-off event, it is an investment in future heritage, creating a legacy of 21 songs that will become part of Gran Canaria’s songbook, adding to the foundations of popular music so that they may endure over time.
Ultimately, it represents one of the largest gatherings of local artistic talent linked to an island-wide cultural event. It involved, among other musical and artistic groups, the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra, Parranda Araguaney, Umiaya, Mujeres D, Raíces Atlántikas, Los Serenquenquenes, folk groups, municipal collectives and more than forty vocal and instrumental performers.
The night closed with the premiere of the new edition of After Hours: The Mixtape. This artistic project was led by DJ Saot ST, a renowned producer and filmmaker who has devoted his career to promoting young talent from the islands within urban culture.
