Joapira

Island: El Hierro
Career: Founded in 1989

In brief

Founded in 1989 in Tigaday, La Frontera (El Hierro), Joapira takes its name from the old toponym of the mountain on which the bell tower of the parish of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria stands. The ensemble is devoted to recovering and passing on traditional Herreño folklore, best known for its stage reconstruction of the Baile del Fraile.

Related figures

Juan Fleitas
Manuel Pérez Rodríguez

Group history

The Agrupación Folclórica Joapira was founded in 1989 in Tigaday, La Frontera (El Hierro), to rescue, research and pass on traditional Herreño folklore. Its name comes from Joapira (also "Juapira"), the old toponym of the mountain on which the bell tower of the parish of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, in the Valle del Golfo, stands. From its earliest days the group gathered oral testimony from the island’s elders to reconstruct pieces of the repertoire that were disappearing, among them the Baile del Fraile. On 9 August 2014 it marked its 25th anniversary with a folk gathering in the Plaza de Tigaday alongside the ensembles Taicares (El Pinar) and Guayacsanta (Los Realejos, Tenerife), presented by the teacher and folklorist Manuel Pérez Rodríguez.

Why it matters

Joapira is one of the representative folk ensembles of El Hierro, with more than three and a half decades of continuous activity centred on preserving the musical heritage of the municipality of La Frontera. Its recovery of the Baile del Fraile, reconstructed from the memory of elders, sets it apart within Herreño folklore. The group has represented the island at inter-island gatherings such as the Festival Folclórico de Gran Canaria held in Teror, where in 2016 it was documented as the representative ensemble for El Hierro. Juan Fleitas was described in the chronicle of its 25th anniversary as "the soul of the group" for his role as driving force and researcher for much of its history.

Style and repertoire

Joapira’s repertoire draws on traditional Herreño and Canarian material: tango herreño, isas, folías and other dance pieces typical of the island’s pilgrimages and festivals, performed with the instruments characteristic of El Hierro folklore. Its hallmark is the stage recovery of the Baile del Fraile, a piece that had disappeared from the usual repertoire and which the group reconstructed from oral testimony and historical documentation.

Transmission and legacy

The ensemble sustains its activity through continued participation in pilgrimages, island and inter-island festivals, and commemorative events such as its 2014 25th anniversary, at which recovered pieces are staged before new generations of audiences and members. Joapira is listed in the Enciclopedia Guanche’s register of Canarian folk ensembles, reflecting its recognition within the islands’ folklore network. No published discography or National Library of Spain records associated with the group have been located.

Key milestones

1989
Founded in Tigaday
The Agrupación Folclórica Joapira is founded in Tigaday, La Frontera (El Hierro), taking its name from the toponym of the mountain of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria bell tower.
Década de 1990
Recovery of the Baile del Fraile
The group reconstructs the Baile del Fraile, a piece that had vanished from the repertoire, from oral testimony of the island’s elders and historical documentation.
2014
25th anniversary in the Plaza de Tigaday
On 9 August 2014 Joapira celebrates its 25th anniversary with a folk gathering in the Plaza de Tigaday alongside Taicares (El Pinar) and Guayacsanta (Los Realejos), presented by Manuel Pérez Rodríguez, with Juan Fleitas recognised as "the soul of the group".
2016
Representing El Hierro at the Festival Folclórico de Gran Canaria
Joapira takes part as the representative ensemble for El Hierro in the 25th edition of the Festival Folclórico de Gran Canaria, held in Teror alongside ensembles from the other islands.