The Muelle Calderón is currently hosting the exhibition 'Santander and Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Ports of Emigration and Cultural Encounter', which will be available for viewing until 31 October. This event is part of the XV Santander Boleros Festival and offers a journey through the history of transoceanic voyages that connected the two sides of the Atlantic from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
César Díaz, president of the Port Authority of Santander (APS), emphasised that this initiative reflects how ports, beyond their commercial activities, serve as "places of encounter and coexistence". The exhibition is organised by Jueves de Boleros in collaboration with the ports of Santander and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Government of Cantabria, the City Council of Santander, and the Palace of Festivals.
Through a collection of images and texts, the exhibition highlights the crucial role of the ports of Santander and Santa Cruz de Tenerife as departure and return points for thousands of emigrants seeking new opportunities in America. These journeys not only transported people and goods but also carried emotions, customs, traditions, and cultural expressions that enriched both sides of the ocean.
Among these cultural exchanges, the bolero, which originated in Cuba, is particularly noteworthy. It spread through maritime routes connecting America with Spain, becoming one of the most representative musical forms of this human and cultural exchange.
The exhibition underscores how emigration and port activities transformed cities, families, and ways of life, creating enduring bonds. On the same day, the XV Santander Boleros Festival will take place at the Palace of Festivals, featuring performances by the Tenerife group Los Sabandeños and the Santander group Jueves de Boleros, united musically due to these historical ties.
In this way, both the exhibition and the festival pay tribute to the memory of those who crossed the Atlantic and the cultural legacy they left as a shared heritage between Santander, Tenerife, and the peoples of America. César Díaz reiterated that ports have always been "places of encounter and coexistence", and supporting such initiatives exemplifies the Port's commitment to the city's cultural and social ecosystem.
