The MUSA México Festival is heading into its final few days at the Museo de Naturaleza y Arqueología de Tenerife (MUNA), with music, Mexican cinema and chocolate making bringing the 13th edition to a close.
The main musical event is Mencey Romántico, who take to the MUNA stage on Friday 25 September for an evening dedicated to Mexican music and the long-standing cultural links between the Canary Islands and Mexico.
Mencey Romántico at the MUNA
The concert starts at 21:00 on Friday 25 September, with Mencey Romántico bringing more than 15 years of experience playing Mexican music to the museum.
The group’s repertoire moves through songs connected with memories and different generations, drawing on the musical traditions and imagery of Mexico.
The current line-up features Pedro Cabrera, Patricio León, Alfredo de la Rosa, Eduardo Aarón Correa, Ignacio Borrego and Daniel Márquez.
The group first got together more than 15 years ago, following an early performance in a small square in Candelaria. Since then, they’ve built a reputation around their musicianship and their direct connection with the audience.
The final Mexican film
Before the music, the festival’s cinema programme comes to an end on Thursday 24 September at 21:00.
The Antonio Pintor courtyard at the MUNA will screen Sujo, the 2024 film directed by Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero.
It follows Sujo, who is orphaned after his father is murdered and grows up surrounded by poverty and danger before becoming connected to a criminal cartel.
Eventually, he manages to step away from the violence and tries to build a different life.
The film has picked up awards and recognition at festivals including Sundance, Morelia and San Sebastián, as well as three Ariel Awards in Mexico.
A final taste of Mexico
The programme finishes on Saturday 26 September with Cacao en tus manos, an artisan chocolate workshop organised by Espacio Moona.
The workshop is led by Alfredo Marrero, pastry chef and chocolatier at Boutique Relieve, and takes participants through the world of cacao, including its traditional preparation, a tasting of seven different origins and Bean to Bar confectionery.
Unfortunately, if you’re reading this hoping to book a place, you’re out of luck. The workshop is already sold out.
One last look at MUSA México
With music, cinema and food, the festival brings its 13th edition to an end after several weeks of activities exploring different parts of Mexican culture and its connections with the Canary Islands.
There is also still time to visit the MUNA’s Concomitancias. Legados, presencia y futuros indígenas en México y Canarias exhibition, which remains open until 1 November.
The free exhibition explores the links, exchanges and shared heritage between Mexico and the Canary Islands through objects, stories and different perspectives.
The festival activities are free until capacity is reached, with tickets released online two days before each event from 10:00.
The Cacao en tus manos workshop was the only paid activity and is already fully booked.
More information is available from the Museos de Tenerife website.