Canary Islands Folklore Schools Modernize Traditional Teaching to Engage New Generations

Preserving intangible heritage in the Canary Islands is changing as traditional teaching methods adapt to the digital age and a new generation of learners. As seen in the recent career of Lourdes Toledo, folklore schools in northern Tenerife have evolved from simple preservation centers into hubs for social integration and cultural growth.

Toledo, who received the 2026 Special Career Achievement Award at the Tradición&Folklore Gala, manages three training centers in Icod de los Vinos, El Tanque, and Garachico. Since 2009, she and Danny Martínez have used a unique teaching method: they bridge the gap between modern life and tradition by using popular music—such as TV and movie soundtracks—to teach students traditional rhythms and instrumental techniques. This approach helps folklore compete with the constant distractions of digital media, ensuring the archipelago’s musical roots remain relevant.

Currently, Toledo oversees more than 200 students: 140 in Icod de los Vinos, 40 in Garachico, and 30 in El Tanque. The student body is remarkably diverse, ranging from children to seniors and including people of many different nationalities, which highlights how folklore can bring a community together. Toledo stresses that while family support is vital, it is important not to pressure younger students, as this can often discourage them.

These schools offer much more than just music lessons. Toledo, who began her own training at age ten under Agustín Aguiar, represents a shift from the old days of informal, spontaneous street performances to a more structured, institutionalized way of learning. This new system allows everyone—from an octogenarian picking up an instrument again to a child learning their first dance steps—to learn side-by-side.

Toledo’s work does more than keep instruments like the timple, lute, and bandurria alive; it also highlights how American rhythms have shaped Canarian music over time. In a world where traditions can easily be forgotten, these schools prove that keeping history alive depends on a teacher's ability to connect the past with the realities of modern life.