Study Debunks British Origins of Tenerife’s Iconic ‘Riqui Raca’ Chant

The identity of the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium may be built on a historical misunderstanding. New research from Agustín Prunell-Friend, a philologist at the University of La Laguna, suggests that the famous "Riqui Raca" chant has no connection to British nautical traditions, despite what many locals have long believed.

The study debunks the popular theory that the chant is a phonetic adaptation of the English phrase "reach in rank, shine on back." Prunell-Friend’s analysis shows that this phrase makes no grammatical sense in English and does not exist in British folklore. Instead, he describes it as a case of "folk etymology"—a story created after the fact to explain a chant whose original meaning had been forgotten.

The research traces the chant’s true origins to mid-19th-century American universities. It appears to be a variation of the "rocket cheer," a type of sports chant documented at Princeton around 1858. These cheers were designed to mimic the sound of a rocket launching, complete with a whistle, an explosion, and a final gasp. These became popular in American football and baseball, and a comparison shows a clear link between American chants like "bricka bracka" or "sis boom bah" and the version used in Tenerife.

According to the study, the chant likely traveled to the Canary Islands via Cuba. In the early 20th century, North American sports culture was influential in Cuba, and it is believed that a Marino CF fan brought the ritual back to the islands after returning from America. The chant quickly became a staple for local fans, largely thanks to the efforts of Paco Zuppo.

This finding does more than just correct a historical record; it highlights how oral traditions can shift when they lack documented evidence. The story of the "Riqui Raca" shows how popular culture often creates its own myths, turning a transatlantic cultural import into a local symbol, even when its true roots lie in American university traditions.