Critique and excitement to the end on a great Murguera night

Los Gambusinos captured the most coveted First Prize for Interpretation—recognizing vocal quality, lyrics, style, rhythm, vocalization, and stage presence—delivering the most complete performance of the contest. Their two main songs blended political criticism with social advocacy, donning a “court” to defend mental health in a tribute to Asomasamen. They also won Best Lyrics for “¿Dónde están? Un detective llega al carnaval”.

Las Sargoriás secured the Second Prize for Interpretation, showcasing a solid, coordinated, and perfectly vocalized murga despite minor tuning issues. Their defense of Majorero identity and accent earned them the Best Lyrics award. In the Presentation category—focused on costumes and makeup—Las Sargoriás triumphed, taking the First Prize for Presentation (112 points), the Julio Vinoly Award for Best Makeup (83 points), and the Audience Award with a 50 % share of the votes, tying exactly with Los Gambusinos (117 votes each).

The evening was hosted by Samuel Perdomo and opened with a performance by the Afilarmónica Majo y Limpio, whose return to the stage was warmly received.

Political and Social Critique, the Essence of Murga

Beyond the trophies, each murga left its mark:

• Las Revolucionadas tackled health and sports.
• Zarandajas satirized social media, image worship, and the “soft‑butt” phenomenon that drives people to online “coaches.”

As always, politicians were prime targets. Names from the north (Isaí and El Marqués) to the south (Marcelino and Candi), and central figures like David de Vera, Tacoremi, Juan, Toñi, Lola, Adargoma, and even Peña—none of whom were in office—were lampooned. This is the heart of murga: politicians laugh when they’re sporty, and otherwise they at least take note.

New Digital Voting App Launched with Great Success

The long wait for jury results is now a thing of the past. The Puerto del Rosario City Council implemented a tablet‑based digital voting system, proposed by local entrepreneurs, which streamlined vote counting and the issuance of the official act within minutes. Designed with full privacy guarantees, the tool enabled an early awards ceremony.

The initiative was conceived by Tony Freitas, director of Radio Insular, and a seasoned technician. Although this contribution was altruistic—providing no direct benefit to Freitas or his company Gestsiete.es—it is expected to be adopted in future contests, both murga‑related and otherwise.

Editorial

Fighting for Carnival as Part of Our Culture

As director of Fuerteventura Digital, I had the honor of serving on the jury for the first time. I commend the Federation of Murga for delegating jury formation to the City Council and the Island Council, selecting professionals and personalities from diverse fields to ensure independence and variety.

While numerical scores can never fully capture half‑hour performances that represent months of rehearsal, the jury felt the awards reflected the night’s reality. I thank fellow jurors Gara Alemán, Iván Figueira Benítez, Javier Santos, Marta Heredina Ruiz Delgado, Pepa Hernández Jordán, Ramón Alberto Guimera Peña (Interpretation) and Halima M.M., Israel de San Secundino Herrera Cabrera, Josua Sánchez, Paula González García, Romina Hernández Hernández, Jesús Angel Mazón Hernández (Secretary) (Presentation).

“The contest was well organized, flowed smoothly, and the overall result was positive, though technical and sound aspects can still improve.”

Suggestions for Future Editions

• Stage Visibility: Judges sat far from the stage without screens, making it hard to assess gestures, details, and subtle nods. Providing monitors would improve evaluation while preserving sign‑language interpretation for inclusion.
• Clear Voting Criteria: The Federation should define explicit criteria for each voting category. While lyrics and vocalization are straightforward, categories like “Stage Presence” or “Style” remain open to interpretation, leading jurors to assess different aspects under the same heading.

Regardless of scores, bringing a murga to the stage is a triumph in itself, reflecting months of tireless effort. Whether a performance is judged higher or lower, or a juror errs, the achievement remains unchanged.

I congratulate every murguero and murguera of Fuerteventura, the organizers, the technical crew, and I encourage them to keep fighting to revive this vital carnival element. Carnival is not only fun and festivity; it is art, creativity, a unique forum for critique and expression, and an indispensable part of our culture.

Results of the 2026 Island Murga Contest

• Murga Essence Award: Macarena Perdomo (director of Las Sargoriás)
• Julio Vinoly Award (Best Makeup): Las Sargoriás – 83 points
• Presentation Awards:
  • 1st – Las Sargoriás (112 points)
  • 2nd – Las Revolucionadas (106 points)
  • 3rd – Los Gambusinos (89 points)
• Best Lyrics: Los Gambusinos – “¿Dónde están? Un detective llega al carnaval”
• Interpretation Awards:
  • 1st – Los Gambusinos (209 points)
  • 2nd – Las Sargoriás (206 points)
  • 3rd – Quintillo.com (170 points)
• Audience Award: Tie – Las Sargoriás and Los Gambusinos (50 % each)