By Ion Axinescu

Copyright euroweeklynews

Benagalbon will celebrate 30 years of one of Malaga province’s most popular cultural traditions. The 30th edition of the Traditional Verdiales Competition will take place on September 20.

Verdiales is a centuries-old folk music and dance tradition from the Malaga region, featuring small bands called pandas. These groups play violins, guitars, tambourines, and castanets while dancers perform energetic routines.

This year, as usual, the streets will turn into a stage for music, dance, and friendly rivalry. Twelve pandas from the Montes style (a specific local variation) will compete, including groups from Moclinejo, Benagalbon, and other nearby towns. Two guest groups will showcase other regional styles, giving visitors a full taste of Malaga’s music heritage.

The festival officially kicked off on September 12 with the opening of a special exhibition at Casa Fuerte Bezmiliana, displaying the history of the competition through posters and photographs. Notable artists such as Antonio de la Torre and Xavier Vilató have contributed to the festival’s visual identity, and this year’s official 30th-anniversary image is by Antonio Montiel.

This edition also introduces a “Best Improvised Song” award, recognising performers’ creativity and wit, adding a playful twist to the traditional duels of music and dance that continue late into the night.

Francisco Salado, president of the Malaga Provincial Government, said the festival “reaffirms the roots of Verdiales in Malaga’s popular culture,” highlighting how the town itself becomes the perfect stage.

Read here more news from Axarquia.