Culture

An important landmark for the cultural development of the Canary Islands was the incorporation of the islands in the Castilian Crown by the end of the 15th century. From that time on, Hispanic culture and tradition spread across all the islands of the archipelago.
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Before this historic event, the native people of the islands had their own peculiar artistic expression, their own language, religion and their own way of living, which is witnessed by a rich legacy of archaeological sites, some of them successfully preserved, and many finds to be seen in several museums spread over the islands, but most of it is exhibited in the respective museums of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Yet, it took some time before any remarkable Canary Island artists appeared. Most of the 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century artists restricted their work to religious themes and some of their paintings adorn churches all over the archipelago. The most renowned – and also most productive – religious sculptor was José Lujan Pérez (1756-1815), whose work can be admired in many churches and cathedrals throughout the Canary Islands.

Also highly esteemed was the versatile artist Néstor de la Torre (1887-1938), who specialized in murals and fought a fierce fight for the revival and preservation of Canarian folk art and architecture.

Literature has a long history in the Canary Islands – even if the Guanches had no written language – with many poets and novelists from the islands being compelled to move to the mainland in order to find fame and glory. Probably the most distinguished Canary novelist was Benito Pérez Galdós (1843-1920), whose birthplace in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was transformed into a house-museum.

With regard to popular music and dances – besides preservation of the traditional folklore music and dance of the islanders, which can usually be observed at fiestas – Andalusian dances and Latin American rhythms, especially Salsa music, introduced by immigrants, prevail. Classical music concerts are always very supported and find their climax in the Classical Music Festival from January to March every year, with almost all islands of the archipelago participating.

On Lanzarote, more precisely in the town of Teguise, much of the Canary culture originated. This dignified colonial town – for more than a century the most important town on the archipelago – gave birth to various musical instruments, including the timple, a unique five-string guitar, which accompanies many traditional dances as well as the characas (castanets). Best known for its folklore music and dance traditions is the town of San Bartolomé.

Most of the musical events – such as the famous Visual Music Festival – take place in volcanic caves of Lanzarote’s amazing nature attractions Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes in the northern part of the island, which were turned into extraordinary entertainment venues with outstanding acoustics, making these events a unique experience for both audience and performers.

Although Lanzarote is not as well endowed with fine art galleries and museums as some other islands of the archipelago, it boasts some remarkable ones too. With respect to art galleries, definitely deserving a visit are the excellent International Museum of Contemporary Art located in the 18th-century Castillo de San José in Arrecife and the César Manrique Foundation in Taro de Tahiche. Manrique’s former home being a unique piece of art itself, it also contains a modern art museum with – besides examples of his own works – a great collection of works by many famous 20th-century artists. The arty village of Yaiza in the southern part of the island is home to the Galería Yaiza displaying very diversified works of many different artists of the island.

Lanzarote also boasts some interesting and very informative museums, such as the award-winning Agricultural Museum El Patio near Tiagua, the Casa Museo del Campesino (Farmer’s Museum) in Mozaga as well as the curious International Miniatures Museum in Haria. Then there are the Centro Científico Cultural in Arrecife, dedicated to the well-known and Arrecife-born physicist Blas Cabrera Felipe (1878-1945), San Bartolomé’s Ethnographic Museum, located in a traditional 18th-century house, the Museo del Emigrante Canario (Canarian Emigrant Museum) in the Castillo de Santa Barbara in Teguise and last but not least the Timanfaya Park Interpretation Centre, a must-visit for everybody who got hooked on volcanoes and wants to know more about Lanzarote’s amazing volcanic history.

And, after all, the whole island of Lanzarote, as it presents itself today, is an art museum in itself – unique in the world of its kind – created by nature and César Manrique, the island’s most famous son, who also left marks of his imaginative artistic skills as sculptor, painter, architect, designer and landscaping architect on other islands of the archipelago.