St. Bernard to honor Canary Islanders
By Kim Gritter
Canary Islanders who settled in St. Bernard Parish in the late 1770s, and their ancestors known as Islenos, will be honored next week with several performances that celebrate the music, dance and culture of their heritage.
The celebration, which observes the 26-year anniversary of the Canary Islanders’ first governmental elections since the Spanish dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1936, will include musical performances at local schools and dance and music classes for local students.
Tenerife Danza Lab, a contemporary dance troupe affiliated with the Auditorium of Tenerife, will perform a modern ballet Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Andrew Jackson Elementary School, 201 Eighth St., Chalmette.
The troupe is under the direction of Helena Berthelius, a world renowned choreographer whose work was featured in the 1992 opening ceremonies of the Barcelona Olympic Games.
A Canarian folk music concert, featuring Grupo Jeremias Martin, a young musician and protégé of Benito Cabrera, a famous musician and composer from Spain, will take place Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Chalmette High School, 1100 E. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette.
Both performances are free and open to the public.
The Tenerife Danza Lab also will conduct dance classes for students at Andrew Jackson Elementary and Chalmette High schools today and Grupo Jeremias Martin will offer music lessons to students at N.P. Trist Middle and Chalmette High schools on Tuesday.
The events are sponsored by Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society, the government of the Canary Islands and the Consulate of Spain, in conjunction with St. Bernard Parish government and the St. Bernard School Board.
Additional support is being provided by the Manuel Molero family; El Cabildo de Tenerife; Friends of the Canary Islands, San Antonio, Tex.; Canarias Crea; Tulane University; and the Canary Islands Descendants Association.