Folklore plays a large part in the life of Mallorcan pueblos (villages). Music, dance, language, food, customs, crafts and traditions all form part of a heritage that was nearly extinguished during the dark years of Franco. Some of it has seen a revival since the onset of democracy but, there is still a long way to go. Luckily, some young Mallorcans uphold some of the folkloric traditions and during village fêtes, a majority of locals, young and old, show their appreciation by joining in and participating to keep the customs alive.

Last night, s’Estol d’es Gerricó were performing on the occasion of the Festa de Santa Margalida, one of the two patron saints of Felanitx, the other one being Sant Antoni. S’Estol d’es Gerricó is the name of a folkloric group from Felanitx, singing and dancing popular Mallorcan songs and balls (traditional folk dances). The group has been active since 1964 and is coming up for its fiftieth anniversary any time soon. Last night, hundreds of locals danced vividly to the tunes of Mallorcan ballads as performed by S’Estol d’es Gerricó with a few thousand more enjoying the folklore and spirit by watching others perform. Together, they were all rewarded by a spectacular performance at midnight of a stationary correfoc (fire run), another of the blissful Mallorcan traditions.

The photo (top) was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: July 20th, 2011. The time was 23:41:39. The photo (bottom) shows the s’Estol group in 1964. The image was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of estol.estoldesgerrico.com.

Moltes gràcies.