Blanes, in Girona province, marked the closing of the seventh Blanes Canta al Mar school workshop with a public performance by about 300 primary pupils on Thursday. The project brings havaneres and maritime traditions into the classroom, then ends with a shared outdoor singing event.
Students from Pinya de Rosa, Carles Faust, Mossèn Joan Batlle, Quatre Vents and Sa Forcanera primary schools took part. Ventijol Special Education School will hold its adapted closing ceremony next week, according to officials. The workshop forms part of the Educational Resources Guide coordinated each year by Blanes Town Council’s Education Department.
Estefanía Romero, councillor for Mayor’s Office, Citizen Participation and Youth, welcomed attendees. Mònica Rabassa, councillor for Archive and Historical Heritage, also spoke, and Albert Sanz, vice-president of the Comarcal Council, was present. Organisers thanked the Blanes Havaneres Workshop, led by Ramon Soto, and the Calella Havanera Promotion Association for their support.
The pupils spent the 2025 to 2026 academic year learning havaneres in class before performing six traditional songs together. The repertoire included La Caña Dulce, El Canó de Palamós, La Gavina, Vell Pescador, El meu avi and La Bella Lola. During La Bella Lola, children waved coloured handkerchiefs representing their schools.
Music came from Els Faroners de Calella, with Edgar Ramentol on guitar, Míriam Pérez on violin, Xavier Santandreu on tenora, Aleix Besolí on accordion and Joni Ripoll on vocals. Music teachers from Blanes schools also joined in for a couple of songs, starting with El Canó de Palamós.
The workshop is designed to help pupils understand Blanes as a maritime town and to value the cultural heritage linked to the sea. It focuses on havaneres, fishermen, and Blanes and tourism, while encouraging children to learn and perform songs that are part of the town’s identity. More local news
