Aday P's "Ankle Bracelets" Exposes Tenerife's Social Realities

Tenerife artist Aday P has released his new album, "Pulseras en el tobillo" (Ankle Bracelets). This album is an important cultural work that challenges the common image of the Canary Islands by focusing on the less visible social issues in Tenerife. Produced by Jay Back, the studio album uses rap to give a voice to young people who have faced difficult life situations from an early age. It covers topics like poverty, crime, and how values are taught in struggling communities.

The album has seven songs and starts with a child's voice – Aday P's own nephew – asking how a mother explains a father's absence due to prison. This opening sets the tone for an album whose lyrics openly discuss daily struggles. The sound is reminiscent of New York boom bap, with an influence from Griselda. Aday P, who comes from La Matanza de Acentejo in the north of the island, wants to represent young people with limited education and job opportunities, who are often forced into unstable, low-paying work.

Aday P says his main goal is to speak for the experiences he sees every day around him. The album is dedicated to his hometown, La Matanza, but it also explores what it's like to grow up in an area where rap isn't the most popular music genre. This is different from other parts of the island, like Santa Cruz, where the rap scene is much more active. In his community, genres like reggaeton, with artists such as Ñengo or Tego, are more common, making a rapper an unusual figure.

"Pulseras en el tobillo" also includes a female perspective, focusing on the experiences of mothers. The album addresses the challenges of single parenthood, the need for exhausting workdays just to cover expenses like rent, and the significant mental strain and stress these situations cause. Furthermore, the work criticizes the social stigma that affects people from these environments, who are often judged by their appearance without anyone considering their life stories.

Overall, Aday P's album helps to highlight a social reality that is often ignored or silenced, despite being clearly present in society. It paints a picture of a side of Tenerife that contrasts sharply with its tourist image, encouraging listeners to reflect on the many different layers that make up the island's identity.