Too good to be true. The fifth will suffer defeat, but not all Murgas will be the champions of the Palmas de Gran Canaria contest at the Canary Islands Regional Meeting held in Candelaria. The first prize of the contest in the capital of Gran Canaria, Legañosos, has expressed regret for their absence this Monday, citing a clash with the II Day Carnival of Carrizal, where not only will they perform but are also part of the organising committee in their hometown.
The councillor for Fiestas de Candelaria, Manolo González, confirmed that ultimately seven notable groups will take part, two as guests, and five instead of six – following the withdrawal of Legañosos – which will include the winning performers from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, at 9:00 p.m. in the Plaza de la Basilica and will be broadcast live on TV, presented by Puchi Méndez and Kiko Barroso, replacing Sergio de la Rosa, who has historically been the master of ceremonies.
The XIX Murgas Meeting of Candelaria will commence with Crazy Devils, led by Tomy Carvajal, who will have the chance to perform a finale that they did not reach for the first time in 29 years of its history. Following this guest performance will be Mamluks with Carlos González Mamelon, also as a guest, leading on to the winners in succession. The next performers will be Chacho you and then Ironic, from Los Realejos; followed by Channels from the islet, and Bambones, from El Cardonal, closing with the only first prize holder of the meeting, TRASSEROS from Los Realejos.
The groups from Las Palmas will spend the night at a campsite in El Sauzal to facilitate the event
The president of the Insular Federation of Gran Canaria Groups, Kevin Benítez, clarified that after the incompatibility of Legañosa to participate in the Candelaria meeting, the possibility of inviting a third murga from Gran Canaria was considered to maintain balance. However, this suggestion was dismissed by the city’s organising committee to avoid setting a precedent for future events, and no further appeal was made.
Kevin Benítez reiterated the support offered by the Las Palmas Carnival Promotion Society to enable the winning murgas to take part in the Candelaria event while mentioning that Legañosos is a group from Carrizal, hence their obligations to their home town. “Las Palmas provided various forms of assistance to ensure participation in Candelaria due to Figruc’s insistence, and while they could have joined, there was a clash of commitments concerning the II Carnival day they also organise,” Benítez explained.
Last Friday, both the president of Figruc and the leaders of the involved groups travelled to Tenerife, along with the councillor for Fiestas de Candelaria, to visit the campsite of El Sauzal, which the municipality of Villa Mariana has offered for their stay. This arrangement was intended to ensure suitable accommodation for the meeting, as it was noted that hotel availability was limited for one of the three winning murgas, leading to the idea of hosting a regional meeting with the three winners from Tenerife and the first prize from Gran Canaria – although it would have been the second due to Legañosos’s absence.
Ultimately, the Murgueros from Gran Canaria have extended every available resource to facilitate the resumption of the Murgas de Candelaria meeting, which has not taken place since 2020 when it was abruptly cancelled at the last minute due to the Covid situation. The councillor for Fiestas de la Villa Mariana is grateful for the support provided by the Murgas of Las Palmas in reviving this gathering, while members of Figruc applaud the collaboration and understanding they have received from the Villa’s organising committee.
