Mallorca will sing 'La Balanguera' on May 29: massive call to towns and schools
The OCB calls for a simultaneous song at 8:00 PM throughout the island and encourages educational centers to join in the morning to celebrate the centenary
PalmThe Balearic Cultural Work (OCB) has called for a massive singing of La Balanguera, the anthem of Mallorca, on May 29th, at 8:00 PM, in all towns and cities on the island. The initiative aims to commemorate the centenary of the musical premiere of Joan Alcover's poem, which composer Amadeu Vives first presented on May 29, 1926, at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.
The call is part of the events for the Year Joan Alcover, which commemorates the centenary of the poet's death. As the entity has explained, the objective is that on the same day and at the same time, the squares throughout Mallorca will be filled with people singing the island's anthem in a popular and participatory celebration throughout the territory.
Also in schools
As a novelty, the OCB has called on educational centers so that students and teachers join the celebration on the morning of May 29. The proposal is that the schools and institutes of Mallorca go out into the courtyard at 12:00 p.m. and sing La Balanguera together.
This initiative aims to involve the educational community in the commemoration and complement the great popular singing in the afternoon, expanding participation to all ages and spaces on the island.
A mobilization throughout the territory
The initiative has the support of the Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics and the Consell de Mallorca, and it is expected that the 53 town councils of the island, as well as local associations and entities, will join.
The OCB has also made a specific call to choirs, music bands, and other groups to join the call and contribute to filling the streets with music.
The entity is confident in massive participation so that the singing becomes a collective outcry of reaffirmation of Mallorcan identity. In 1996, the Consell de Mallorca declared La Balanguera as the official anthem of the island.
The singing is part of the activities program for the Joan Alcover Year, which recently began with the restoration of a commemorative plaque at the Gran Hotel de Palma, where the poet publicly recited the poem for the first time in 1903.
On the occasion of the call, the OCB has set up a website with information about the event, the history of La Balanguera, a map of the participating municipalities, and various resources related to the celebration.