maspalomas soul festival tenth edition

Soul festival returns for tenth emotional edition in Gran Canaria

Spectacular start to a landmark edition

The public turned out in force with absolute dedication on the first night of the tenth edition of the Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival, held on the sands of San Agustín beach. This edition is particularly special because it pays homage to the creator of the event, Gran Canarian producer Dania Dévora, who passed away last March. During the evening, San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council announced through a tribute video that it has already begun the paperwork to posthumously declare Dévora an Adopted Daughter of the municipality.

Thousands gather for an unforgettable opening night

Thousands of people gathered from early Friday evening to enjoy the opening night, which once again confirmed the international, free, and open nature of a festival that, over the past decade, has turned Gran Canaria into a European benchmark for lovers of soul, funk, and R&B. With pleasant temperatures, the Atlantic breeze softening the atmosphere, and a spectacular sunset over San Agustín bay, the audience gradually filled the sand and the area in front of the stage. Families, foreign visitors, residents, and loyal festival-goers shared a first evening marked by togetherness, dancing, and the desire to celebrate the tenth anniversary of an event that has become part of the cultural identity of Maspalomas Costa Canaria.

Kicking off with soul and vinyl

The programme kicked off with Manel Ruiz, El Especialista, who opened the evening with a carefully curated selection of soul, rhythm and blues, funk, and classic black music tracks on vinyl, setting the perfect atmosphere for the start of the event. He was followed on stage by Koko-Jean & The Tonics, who unleashed all the energy of their powerful live show. The stage presence of Koko-Jean Davis and the flawless accompaniment of the band had the audience rocking with a repertoire that moved between soul, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and funk, raising the temperature on a beach that was completely won over.

An emotional tribute to the festival’s founder

After this performance, the festival experienced one of the most emotional moments in its ten-year history with the screening of a tribute video to Dania Dévora, the founder and driving force behind the Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival. The video traced her journey within the festival itself, showing images from different editions, her closeness to artists and the public, and the enthusiasm with which she championed the project from its very beginnings. The tribute culminated with the announcement by San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council that it has begun proceedings to grant her, posthumously, the title of Adopted Daughter of the municipality—a piece of news that was met with a long ovation from the crowd.

A night of outstanding performances

The emotion gave way to the performance of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band, led by Kurt Clayton, true ambassadors of the legendary Memphis sound. Their impeccable repertoire served as the foundation for the arrival on stage, at 10:10 pm, of Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee, and Candy Fox, three extraordinary voices who delivered a show of enormous intensity, alternating on stage and proving why they represent the essence of Memphis soul. At 10:50 pm, it was the turn of Dot. Moore, one of the most interesting emerging artists on the line-up, who captivated the audience with an elegant and contemporary performance blending classic soul with modern R&B.

Bigg Robb brings the party until dawn

The programming was brought to a close by Bigg Robb, who took to the stage at 11:50 pm. With his unmistakable blend of Southern soul, funk, blues, and rhythm and blues, he turned San Agustín Beach into a genuine dance floor, unleashing the party well into the early hours. As a fitting conclusion to this first evening, the festival enjoyed the much-anticipated Grand Finale, one of the moments most celebrated by the public. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band, Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee, Candy Fox, Lenny Williams, Dot. Moore, and Bigg Robb all returned to the stage to perform several soul classics together in a choral finale that symbolised the spirit of collaboration, celebration, and artistic excellence that defines the Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival.

A festival now part of Gran Canaria’s cultural summer

The first night of the tenth anniversary confirmed the extraordinary moment this musical gathering is enjoying, now an unmissable date in the cultural summer of the Canary Islands. It was a particularly emotional edition due to the permanent memory of Dania Dévora and the magnificent response from the public, who once again demonstrated that soul music has found, on San Agustín Beach, one of its most special European homes.

Source

Scroll to Top