On Friday, September 13, La Laguna will serve as the backdrop for yet another bid to secure a Guinness record. Approximately 700 individuals, comprising dancers and musicians, along with over 20 groups, will converge to perform the largest Tajaraste dance in history, an endeavour aimed at etching the name of this Canarian dance into the Guinness Book of Records.
The demonstration will take place in La Laguna, coinciding with the Night of Traditions (September 13), one of the key highlights of the Fiestas del Cristo. Children, youths, and adults will march along Viana Street to gather in the Plaza del Cristo.
Percussion from all the islands will accompany the Tajaraste dance. Instruments such as drums, boxes, bones, limpets, and chácaras will provide the rhythm for the more than 500 dancers.
This initiative, which was officially registered two months ago, will feature a Guinness World Records representative to validate the record.
The first rehearsals commenced on Monday at the Anchieta II pavilion, with sessions continuing on Tuesday and the following Monday, September 9, culminating in a final test on Viana Street on September 11.
The Mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, alongside the Department of Festivals, led by Dailos González, has backed this initiative from the outset, emerging from the endeavours of Fernando Hernández and Josué Villanueva to integrate tradition as a core aspect of the community’s identity.
Not the only folklore record in La Laguna
This is not the first occasion linked to Canarian folklore striving for a place in the Guinness Book of Records. In August 1973, the group Los Sabandeños achieved a landmark by singing non-stop for 28 hours and 15 minutes during the Bajamar festivities, also in La Laguna.
This accomplishment garnered significant coverage in national media, attracting an audience exceeding 10,000 people. Los Sabandeños, famed for their renditions of Canarian and South American music, gained global recognition by showcasing island folklore to the world.
Another folklore record in Canarian history occurred in June 2013 when 301 people came together to dance a Canarian Isa in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Organised by the Roque Nublo Folklore Group, the event united various dance groups from the Islands to set a new record in this category.
Understanding the Tajaraste
The Tajaraste is a dance of pre-Hispanic heritage, deeply entrenched in the islands of Tenerife and La Gomera. It is characterised by small hops executed in pairs facing each other or in a circular formation, accompanied by instruments such as chácaras, drums, tambourines, and various string instruments.
This dance boasts a rich past that traces back to the Guanches, the ancient settlers of the Canary Islands, and has persevered through the ages as a symbol of the Islands’ cultural identity.
The Tajaraste, which will take centre stage in Tenerife on September 13, is not merely a festive dance but also carries ceremonial significance, being performed at various festivals across the Islands, often with religious undertones. Variations like the “baile del Niño” at the Misa del Gallo or the “Tajaraste de El Amparo” in Tenerife illustrate the diversity and cultural wealth of this dance, which has been referenced by illustrious writers such as Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Lope de Vega.
With this record attempt, La Laguna continues to uphold its tradition of excellence in the realm of folklore, reaffirming the significance of preserving and promoting Canarian customs and traditions on a global platform.
