This week I have come up with a strong idea of what I would like to do for my performance for this module. I intent to use my knowledge of the Canarian Culture (my culture) to show an audience that The Canary Islands; and more specifically Tenerife, are not just holiday islands where everyone goes to get drunk and spend the day on the beach or by the pool. I intend to show the audience that The Canary Islands have a very rich heritage and culture, the islands are full of stories and legends, and interesting and beautiful places to visit. There is also a strong religious influence on the islands that has influenced many beautiful buildings and locations, there is a fascinating history not only involving people on the islands themselves but also others coming in; such as Nelson attempting to take Santa Cruz.
The culture of the islands is kept very much alive both in the young and old, mostly through a yearly celebration on May 30th called Canarian Day; this day is used to celebrate the culture and history of the island and a lot of the time it is used to teach others (English, Germans, etc) about the culture of the island.
I intend to use Canarian day as a starting point to teach my audience not only about the Canarian culture, but I also intend to show them some of the songs, games and dances involved in this day; to give them a better understanding through first hand experience. I may also lead into stories such as the eruption of the Chinyero (volcano in Tenerife), which covered the village of Garachico in lava. I might also tell stories of the famous Guanche (Canarian aboriginal’s) kings who now have a statue each outside the Basilica de Candelaria, their are many historical references or local myths and legends to refer to, my biggest challenge will be narrowing down my content so as to not bore the audience.
