If one group defines the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival, it is the murga. A band of men and women in costume, with kazoo-like whistles and percussion, who take the stage to sing what they think of current affairs with humour, irony and plenty of bite. The adult murga contest is the most popular event of the festival: tickets sell out in minutes and some people queue for hours to get a seat.
What is a murga
A murga is a carnival choir whose repertoire is based on criticism and satire. Its lyrics review what has happened during the year: local politics, prices, roadworks that never end, celebrities or the inner workings of the festival itself. The music usually takes well-known melodies and gives them new lyrics, and the characteristic sound comes from the pitos (small instruments that distort the voice) and the percussion: bass drums, snare drums and cymbals. Each murga performs with a different costume and character every year, and its show includes an opening, critical songs and a farewell.
From Los Bigotudos to today
The Santa Cruz murga was born in the years when Carnival was banned. In 1954 Los Bigotudos took to the streets: the group known today as the Afilarmónica NiFú-NiFú, which still gives its traditional performance on Piñata Sunday in the Plaza del Príncipe. During the Winter Festivals new murgas appeared and the contest became established; our archive records murga awards from the early sixties and the current Performance contest since 1978. Some of the most successful, such as Los Mamelucos, Los Bambones, Los Diablos Locos or Afilarmónica Triqui-Traques, have been on stage for decades.
How the contest works
The contest takes place in the weeks before the street Carnival, in several rounds and a grand final in which only the best compete. The jury hands out several awards:
- Performance (Interpretación): the main prize, which assesses musical and vocal quality, lyrics and staging. It is the title that counts in the historical roll of honour.
- Presentation (best costume): rewards the murga's costumes and image.
- Criticón Prize: awarded to a specific song for its criticism; in the archive you will find the title of the winning song each year.
- Special prizes: best director (Borja Reyes Prize), best percussion (Jorge Hernández Palmero Prize), audience award, creativity award and others such as the Mamá Lala Prize or the Tom Carby Prize.
The verdict does not always please everyone: on Carnaval Chicharrero every result has its own debate, where you can say whether the jury got it right and who should have won.
Children's murgas
Young murga performers have their own contest, the children's murgas, for members under 18. They sing about the adult world with children's innocence and cheek, and many of them act as training grounds for the adult murgas. The first Performance winner in our archive is Los Lengüines, in 1972.
Songs that stayed
Some murga songs go beyond the contest. The best-known case is “Chicharrero de corazón”, created in 2008 by the murga Afilarmónica Ni Pico-Ni Corto, which became one of the anthems of the city and its Carnival alongside “Santa Cruz en Carnaval”.
Where to see the murgas
Besides the contest, murgas perform throughout the Carnival on stages around the city, in the Announcement Parade and at neighbourhood festivals. Our events calendar lists the performances we know of, and the programme has the contest dates for the next edition.
Sources: Carnaval Chicharrero awards archive and the Wikipedia article “Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife”.