Benidorm brings its musical heritage together on a CD of ten traditional pieces

The Colla de Xirimiters i Tabaleters de la Marina has brought together ten traditional pieces on the CD ‘Benidorm Música i Tradició’, which is due to be presented at Benidorm town hall at 7pm on Monday, 26 October.

The album recovers melodies associated with local festivities and popular customs, preserving a musical heritage that risks becoming less prominent as the way celebrations are held continues to change.

A project that began in 2008

Francisco Jesús-María Romero, known as Paco ‘el Bessó’ and director of Benidorm’s Escola de Xirimiters, said the work was conceived as a historical record of the town’s cultural and festive heritage.

The initiative began taking shape in 2008, when the school celebrated its 25th anniversary, although the recording and release of the CD have had to wait until now.

The ten tracks follow different moments of a traditional festive day, including the early-morning despertades and dianes, races, street parades and melodies associated with cucaña games.

The selection also includes Benidorm romances and ‘les copletes’ dedicated to the Mare de Déu del Sofratge, both linked to the town’s collective memory.

Some recordings date from 2008 and preserve performances by musicians and singers who have since died, giving the album an additional role as a tribute.

Those remembered include Jaume Antón, who approached Paco ‘el Bessó’ in 1983 to help establish the school of xirimiters in Benidorm.

The director favours adapting the repertoire to new contexts and popular songs so that the xirimita remains an instrument that feels relevant and familiar to people.

Instruments and a new generation

The pieces were recorded by a pair consisting of a xirimiter and a tabalet player, or by two xirimiters and a tabalet player for certain compositions, rather than the entire ensemble.

The Escola de Xirimiters is marking 43 years and currently has around twenty pupils; the youngest children can begin learning the tabalet from the age of six.

The presentation is part of the cultural programme ahead of the Festes Majors Patronals, and the CD will be available to the public through la Barqueta, according to the school’s director.