Belén do Campo, the territorial delegate of the Xunta in A Coruña, recently visited the exhibition 'Tengo que cantar. 20 años de hermandad musical', accompanied by Luis Sánchez Bolón, the curator and artistic director of Cántigas da Terra, and tour guide Sara Fraga. The guided tour featured a special review of original documents and materials housed in the Local Studies Library.
The exhibition, which opened on 8 October at the Salvador de Madariaga Municipal Exhibition Hall, explores the history and evolution of the Galician Choral Cycle through original pieces and documents. Organised by the Cántigas da Terra group, the exhibition celebrates twenty editions of the festival, which has become a prominent event in the traditional Galician culture in A Coruña during the autumn.
Throughout its history, the cycle has brought together historic choirs, folk groups, and various expressions of Galician oral tradition, including improvised dialectical disputes, folk music, and theatre. During her visit, do Campo reviewed materials from historical groups such as the Real Coro Toxos e Froles, the Coral De Ruada, Cantigas e Agarimos, and Cántigas da Terra itself. These items help to preserve the memory of the formations that participated in the festival's various editions and highlight the close relationship between this cultural initiative and the Galician associative and musical fabric.
The exhibition also pays tribute to the efforts of the groups that have contributed to preserving, transmitting, and promoting traditional music and the intangible cultural heritage of Galicia, keeping alive artistic expressions that are part of the collective identity of the region.
During her visit, do Campo emphasised the importance of initiatives like this for conserving and promoting Galician cultural heritage, as well as the vital role played by cultural associations in passing traditions on to new generations. She praised the work of Cántigas da Terra and its contribution to the dissemination of Galician music and folklore.
Recognition as a cultural heritage
During the exhibition visit, do Campo recalled that the Xunta de Galicia approved the declaration of traditional Galician music and dance as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) during the Consello da Xunta on 22 December 2025. This designation, aimed at protecting and safeguarding this legacy for future generations, was officially published in the Diario Oficial de Galicia on 12 January 2026.
Do Campo highlighted that this recognition provides the highest level of protection and ensures the conservation, safeguarding, and transmission of this legacy, while also acknowledging the work of cultural associations, folk groups, and performers who have kept this tradition alive. Planned measures include the creation of a public audiovisual archive, free and accessible online, as well as the incorporation of educational materials into teaching to bring this heritage closer to new generations and preserve one of the most representative expressions of Galicia's identity, history, and culture.
The exhibition will be open until 15 November at the Salvador de Madariaga Municipal Exhibition Hall, located at 10 Durán Loriga Street, from 12:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 21:00, with free entry.
