BIOGRAPHY - Festival de Música de Lanzarote

“Nowhere else shall we see such a clear creative process like the one we can see in Lanzarote. The island promotes artistic behaviour and a physical approach to pure creation.”

Brian Eno

THE FESTIVAL

Created in 1989

The Lanzarote Visual Music Festival, created in 1989 at the proposal of the artist Ildefonso Aguilar and organized by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, is an extraordinary artistic event that is based on the integration of avant-garde musical proposals with different artistic languages in complete harmony with the special characteristics and singularities of the natural scenic spaces of the island of Lanzarote, such as the Jameos del Agua Auditoriums or Cueva de los Verdes.

NILS PETTER MOLVÆR GROUP / Jameos del Agua Auditorium
Photo credit: Bruto Estudio

FALLA ENSEMBLE / Jameos del Agua Auditorium
Photo Credit: Bruto Estudio

From the get-go of the Festival, the perfect combination of new music and a unique volcanic landscape, drew the interest of contemporary musicians such as Brian Eno and Michael Brook, among others, which helped this Festival become one of the most attractive and extraordinary avant-garde music events in the world during its 13 consecutive editions that went from 1989 to 2002.

In 2017, after fifteen long years, the Cultural Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote has rescued this innovative music event, highly demanded by locals and visitors. The Festival aims to bring back the prestige and cultural repercussion that an initiative such as this means for Lanzarote,

From the get-go of the Festival, the perfect combination of new music and a unique volcanic landscape, drew the interest of contemporary musicians such as Brian Eno and Michael Brook, among others, which helped this Festival become one of the most attractive and extraordinary avant-garde music events in the world during its 13 consecutive editions that went from 1989 to 2002.

In 2017, after fifteen long years, the Cultural Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote has rescued this innovative music event, highly demanded by locals and visitors. The Festival aims to bring back the prestige and cultural repercussion that an initiative such as this means for Lanzarote, and to turn it into a unique artistic option that will help consolidate the island as high standard cultural destination, able to attract those who intend to discover a one-of-a-kind musical experience surrounded by Lanzarote’s stunning landscape.

FALLA ENSEMBLE / Jameos del Agua Auditorium
Photo Credit: Bruto Estudio

and to turn it into a unique artistic option that will help consolidate the island as high standard cultural destination, able to attract those who intend to discover a one-of-a-kind musical experience surrounded by Lanzarote’s stunning landscape.

JULIÁN ELVIRA / Cueva de los Verdes Auditorium
Photo Credit: Bruto Estudio

STAGE AREAS

Lanzarote

Lanzarote is a subtle and outstanding volcanic territory, with extraordinary spaces perfect for cultural manifestations of nature. The combination of the volcanoes and the quiet work of local farmers on a hostile land, helped shape a landscape where there have always been delicate sounds that can be heard by attentive and excited viewers. Therefore, the composition and performance of new music can find in Lanzarote the perfect set, which results in a revealing symbiosis.

Photo Credit: David González Fotografía

Throughout the different editions of the Festival, there have been plenty of natural areas and unique buildings used to hold the concerts of the Festival, but it has been two volcanic bubbles, turned into auditoriums, the ones that have become its main headquarters. The Auditoriums of Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes, set up as volcanic caves with a perfect symbiosis between art and nature, the senses of viewers are exposed to the most suggestive and innovative sounds.

Photo Credit: David González Fotografía

In addition to these two main venues, new venues have been incorporated for the concerts, such as the Volcán del Cuervo, the old quarry where volcanic ash was extracted from the Montaña de Tahíche or the Convents of San Francisco and Santo Domingo in Teguise, as well as the Church of San Ginés, the beach of El Reducto or the Centro de Innovación Cultural “El Almacén” in Arrecife.

Photo Credit: David González Fotografía

JAMEOS DEL AGUA

Lanzarote

“Jameo” is a term used to refer to an opening caused by the collapse of the top of a volcanic tube as a result of the loss of gases built up inside.

Jameos del Agua are located on the inside of the volcanic tube, caused by the eruption of Volcán de la Corona, and named after a lake on the inside that is a unique geological formation, that was created through filtration, as it is below sea level. In this pristine water natural lake, there live several endemic local species, such as Munidopsis polimorpha, a tiny, blind albino crab of unknown origin.

Its environment is protected as Jameos Site of Scientific Interest by the Law of Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands, and it is part of the Volcán and Malpaís de La Corona National Park, as well as Site of Cultural Interest.

The Auditorium of “Jameos del Agua”, main headquarters of the Lanzarote Visual Music Festival, is a spectacular stage space set up on the inside of a volcanic cave, with capacity for 500 people. This is a unique place in the world thanks to its geological features and peculiar acoustic conditions.

5

CIC EL ALMACEN

Lanzarote

The former Centro Polidimensional “El Almacén”, was conceived in 1974 by artist César Manrique for contemporary cultural activities at all different levels: fine arts, performances, audiovisuals, literary, etc., and as intended, it became an essential role model for culture in Arrecife, Lanzarote.

During the Festival, complementary activities will be held there such as workshops, gatherings and film screenings, all of the them connected to the idea of exploring the different manifestations of contemporary sound and music.

COMPRAR ENTRADAS

5

CUEVA DE LOS VERDES

Lanzarote

Cueva de los Verdes, as well as Jameos del Agua, is part of a group of underground volcanic tubes around six kilometres long, and one of the most interesting volcanic formations on the island as well as one of the longest volcanic tubes in the world, that can be visited.

The auditorium, located at the heart of the cave, holds 350 people. Its outstanding acoustics, layout and extraordinary beauty of its geological features, make it a privileged stage for the chosen concerts.

As well as Jameos del Agua, it is protected as Jameos Site of Scientific Interest by the Law of Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands, and it is part of the Volcán and Malpaís de La Corona National Park. As well as Site of Cultural Interest.

5

CONVENT OF
SANTO DOMINGO

Lanzarote

The convent is located in the ancient capital of the island, Villa de Teguise, and it was founded at the beginning of the 18th Century over a church that was previously there since the 17th Century, it was the convent church of Santo Domingo. Back then, the conventual area extended towards the left, which nowadays is the Town Hall, still showing some primitive traces. On the inside, the altarpiece of the original temple remains, dedicated to our Lady of Grace.

Currently, the church has become a space to hold cultural activities, especially as exhibitions hall, and concerts during the Festival.

This building is one of the main indicators that has made it possible to name the Royal, Noble and Majestic Villa de Teguise, a Historic Group.

5

JAMEOS DEL AGUA

CUEVA DE LOS VERDES

CIC EL ALMACEN

CONVENT OF SANTO DOMINGO

JAMEOS DEL AGUA

CUEVA DE LOS VERDES

CIC EL ALMACEN

CONVENT OF SANTO DOMINGO