Glosses, cockfights and living culture: this is how the year begins in the Balearic Islands

PalmThe glosadas and the picado battles remain a living testament to the oral and festive traditions of the Balearic Islands. The glosadas, poetic improvisations often sung in a duel format, keep alive the critical and satirical spirit of the people, while the picado battles—a kind of verbal and musical game between glosadores—allow participants to test their skill and wit against their rivals.

This year, the season kicks off with two highlights this Saturday, January 3rd: in Arracó and in Sóller, where renowned figures in the world of glosa, such as Miquel Servera, Miquel Pagés, Maribel Servera, and Ramon Reus, will gather. These events will allow the public to enjoy live improvisations and witness the glosadores' ingenuity in real time. The glosada in Sóller, organized by the OCB, the town council, and other entities, will take place at 12 noon in the Born. As for the Arracó bullfight, also organized by the OCB with the Andratx Town Hall, Glosadors de Mallorca, and other entities, it will take place at 7:00 PM in the Arracó Theatre. To encourage the public to attend, Maribel Servera, a leading voice in this aspect of Mallorcan culture, has created a video promoting the Arracó bullfight through a glosa (a type of Mallorcan folk verse).

Cati Eva has done the same to promote the meeting that will be held in Sóller with a commentary.

In Mallorca, these practices are commonly celebrated during local festivals and cultural events, where improvisational singers and the public share humor, memories, and identity. Experts in popular culture point out that, beyond the competition, these improvised singing contests strengthen social cohesion and transmit values such as creativity, oral tradition, and respect for the Catalan language. With recent initiatives from the Balearic Cultural Association and other local organizations, a renewed interest in these forms of improvised singing has been consolidated. In addition to preserving tradition, they attract a young audience eager to discover the richness of the island's popular culture.