How San Juan de la Rambla’s Alcaraván Band Pioneered Gender Equality in Music
The Alcaraván Music Band in San Juan de la Rambla is being celebrated for its pioneering role in advancing gender equality within the Canary Islands' music scene by integrating women into its ensemble decades ahead of national trends.
You cannot understand the recent history of San Juan de la Rambla without looking at its musical associations. According to the town’s official chronicler, these groups have undergone a major social transformation over the last 40 years. In particular, the story of the Alcaraván Music Band shows how a local cultural project helped lead the way for gender equality in the island’s music scene.
The band began in 1978, when local residents—led by figures like Felipe Dámaso Pérez Luís and music director Óscar Pérez Regalado—decided to revive the town’s band tradition after previous groups had disbanded. Their efforts led to an official debut at the Teatro-Cine Aurora in December 1980. However, the most important milestone from that era was breaking the male-dominated culture of local bands. A group of young women—Inés Bárz, Luzmi Pérez, Fátima Carrillo, Ligia Méndez, Natalia de Luis, Carmen María Fernández, Corina Rodríguez, Carina Falcón, María José Beltrán, Carmen María Abreu, and Eulalia Toledo—joined the ensemble, setting a precedent that changed local customs and opened doors for women to pursue music, both as amateurs and professionals.
This shift has continued to the present day. The association’s current president, María José Beltrán, notes that having women in the band has not only improved the group's musical quality but has also made music a space for equality. Today, the Óscar Pérez Regalado School of Music, led by David Pérez, ensures that new generations continue this tradition. The band’s roots go back even further to the 19th century, when Rosario Oramas funded the purchase of the town’s first instruments and the parish organ.
The impact of this change goes beyond San Juan de la Rambla. While the move toward mixed-gender bands across Spain was a gradual process, this town was ahead of the curve, adopting integration long before it became the national standard. Today, the Alcaraván Artistic Association does more than preserve local heritage; it serves as a model of cultural management where equality is built into everything they do—a legacy that began with the courage of those young women 46 years ago.