La new soundtrack with a Canarian accent It has definitively crossed over to the mainland. The "Canarias tiene el flow" festival has landed in Madrid, ready to demonstrate that the urban and fusion scene born in the Canary Islands is now playing in the big leagues of Spanish music, with a project that goes far beyond a simple concert.
With the Tickets sold out and nearly 2.000 people At La Riviera venue, the initiative is consolidating itself as a privileged showcase for a generation of artists who have broken the barrier of insularity thanks to digital platforms, festivals and tours throughout Spain.
A festival that transforms La Riviera into Canarian territory
On Thursday, May 14, the legendary Madrid venue La Riviera was transformed into a meeting point for the musical talent of the ArchipelagoUnder the name "Canarias tiene el flow" (Canary Islands has the flow), the event brought together a wide representation of the urban and alternative Canarian scene, with a clear objective: to show in the capital the historic moment that music made in the Islands is going through.
They gathered on the stage La Pantera, Juseph, Don Patricio, Sara Socas, Ale Acosta, Daniela Garsal, Ventura, Julia RodrÃguez and Los Blody, winners of the Sonora 2026 competition. Nine proposals with very different styles - from trap to rock, passing through pop, rap, electronic or folk music - but with the same hallmark: a sound marked by accent, language and the Canary Island cultural references.
The organization confirms that the festival It hung the "sold out" sign days beforeThis is unusual for an event with an entirely Canarian lineup in Madrid. The project's producer and director, Santi Gutiérrez, emphasizes the difficulty of filling a venue of this size in the capital with artists exclusively from the Canary Islands and highlights the symbolic value of achieving this during the San Isidro festival.
The event is not conceived simply as a typical concert, but as a grand celebration of Canarian identity in the heart of SpainFor nearly four hours, La Riviera became a space where urban rhythms, experimental fusions, and constant nods to island traditions coexisted, in a format closer to a television show than a conventional concert.
The evening was hosted by Karin Herrero and EloÃsa GonzálezTwo faces and voices well known to the Spanish and Canarian public, who acted as masters of ceremonies and connected the different performances, reinforcing the idea that "Canarias tiene el flow" is, above all, a brand and a shared story.
A musical brand with a Canarian designation of origin
Behind the festival there is a brand strategy designed for the long term"Canarias tiene el flow" was born as a public-private collaboration project promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, with the aim of protecting and projecting the musical product of the Archipelago beyond its borders.
Its director, Santi Gutiérrez, insists that The Islands become the first autonomous community which develops a specific brand for its contemporary scene, with a strategy aimed at protecting the identity of its artists and, at the same time, opening doors for them in the national and international market.
The initiative is presented as a "Designation of origin" seal for the new Canarian sound, an umbrella that brings together a generation of musicians who share a way of understanding the urban: uninhibited fusions, very marked local references and a narrative that claims island identity as an added value, not as a limit.
The project has the support of sponsors such as CanariasPlay, Binter, Cajasiete, Arehucas and Clipperas well as with the collaboration of the Canary Islands House in Madrid. This network of support reinforces the institutional and business commitment to making the Canary Islands one of the key hubs for urban music and the new sounds that are setting trends in Spain.
The organization has deployed a extensive human and technical resources To guarantee a production on par with the big formats: careful set design, production designed for audiovisual recording and a show structure that reinforces the message that the "Canary flow" is here to stay.
La Pantera, Juseph and Don Patricio: the Canary Islands urban sound front line
In the more purely urban part of the lineup, three names stand out that, for many, They embody the takeoff of the phenomenonLa Pantera, Juseph, and Don Patricio. Each with their own style, but all with millions of views and a strong connection with young audiences.
La Pantera, Sergio Aimar Castellano's alter ego, has established himself as one of the most visible voices of Canarian trapHis music blends trap, drill, and Afro-Latin rhythms, a combination that has earned him a place on the country's top playlists and festivals. Linked to the new urban wave that has made artists like Quevedo and Cruz Cafuné famous, his name appears on collective hits such as "Cayó la noche" and recent collaborations like "Algo va a pasar," alongside Quevedo, Lucho RK, and Juseph.
Juseph, for his part, arrives from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with a raw and emotional soundIn this album, rap and Latin influences blend with direct lyrics, brimming with neighborhood pride and references to everyday life in the Canary Islands. After honing his skills in the underground scene, his first album, "Los del glamöur," marks a turning point in his career and reinforces his role within the great urban wave that has emerged from the Canaries.
Completing this triangle is Don Patricio, initially known as a member of Locoplaya, who has become one of the icons of Spanish urban popHis big break came with "Contando lunares," a collaboration with Cruz Cafuné, a song that reached number one in Spain and became a generational anthem. After a period of less exposure, the artist from El Hierro has resumed his activity with new releases like "Vuelvo," maintaining a sound that blends reggaeton, dembow, and pop with a very recognizable style.
Sara Socas, Ale Acosta and Daniela Garsal: versatility, electronics and new voices
The poster for "Canary Islands has the flow" also focuses on artists who expand the soundscape beyond the classic urban soundAmong them are rapper and freestyler Sara Socas, producer and musician Ale Acosta, and emerging singer Daniela Garsal.
Sara Socas made a name for herself on the circuit of the Spanish rap battles and freestylewhere she became a pioneering figure in a traditionally male-dominated environment. She was the first woman to reach the Freestyle Master Series Spain and participated in high-level competitions such as Red Bull Batalla. In recent years, she has focused her efforts on her studio music career, with works such as the album "TFN-MAD" and new tracks that explore a direct, celebratory, and socially conscious rap, without losing her Canarian pride.
Beside her, Ale Acosta represents the the more electronic and experimental side of the "Canarian flow"A former member of Fuel Fandango and producer for artists such as Enrique Morente, Chambao, and Rozalén, he has developed a solo career in electronic dance music with a strong island inspiration, especially linked to Lanzarote. His album "El Porvenir" and songs like "La ceniza," featuring Valeria Castro—nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Best Latin Electronic Performance category—show how tradition and electronic music can go hand in hand.
In the field of new voices, it emerges strongly Daniela GarsalThe Gran Canaria-born artist blends R&B, Latin influences, and electronic production into an intimate yet danceable soundscape, with lyrics that revolve around love, heartbreak, and vulnerability. Tracks like "No dura pa' siempre," "Bb no me llames," "Playa Blanca," and "TLJTQ," along with her EP "Supernova," have established her as one of the most promising artists on the Canary Islands music scene. Her recent collaboration "Qué cruel" with Cruz Cafuné further solidifies her profile and connects her to the forefront of the Spanish urban music scene.
Ventura, Julia RodrÃguez and Los Blody: alternative sounds, roots and Canarian rock
The festival also reserves a prominent space for proposals that They broaden the concept of "Canarian flow" incorporating other musical languages. This is the case of Ventura, the timple player and singer-songwriter Julia RodrÃguez, and the rock band Los Blody.
Ventura, one of the youngest artists on the bill, moves in the realm of melodic trap with an alternative edgeWinner of the 2025 emerging artist award from Marcha FM radio, he combines cool melodies with powerful beats, achieving a recognizable sound that shows another side of the Canary Islands scene: less mainstream, but with a very strong personality and potential to grow beyond the archipelago.
Julia RodrÃguez contributes to the event the most direct connection to the traditional rootsThe daughter of renowned timple player Domingo RodrÃguez Oramas, El Colorao, she has brought the timple and guitar into a contemporary realm, where the folklore of Fuerteventura coexists with jazz, singer-songwriter music, and Latin American music. Her work "Hacia la vida" (Towards Life) and the recognition she received at the 2025 Canary Islands Music Awards—where she was honored as breakthrough artist and for best folk music album—establish her as a key figure in understanding how Canarian tradition is updated without losing its essence.
The most rock-oriented element of the lineup is provided by The Bloody, a band formed by musicians from Tenerife and Madrid that blends rock and rap with a distinctly punk attitude. Winners of Sonora 2026 and finalists of MadCool Talent, their songs—featured on the album "No voy a morir aquÃ" and singles like "Fantasmas" and "Deja de mirarme asÃ"—have allowed them to perform at festivals such as Cook Music Fest, Phe Festival, and Lala Music before taking the leap to La Riviera.
His presence in "Canarias tiene el flow" reinforces the idea that The phenomenon is not limited to a single genrebut rather it functions as an umbrella under which very diverse proposals fit, as long as they share that Canarian view of the world.
Music, identity and external projection
One of the central axes of the project is the assertion of Canarian identity as a creative engine. Many of the participating artists use in their lyrics turns of phrase typical of Canarian Spanish, references to daily life in the Islands and local cultural elements that become a distinctive mark compared to other urban scenes.
The festival presents Canarian identity not as a geographical boundary, but as a added value in a globalized marketThe scene that is consolidating in the Islands is characterized by fusions that blur the boundaries between urban, pop, folk, rock or electronic music, generating a hybrid sound that connects with listeners from the Islands as well as audiences from the mainland and other countries.
In this sense, "Canarias tiene el flow" is conceived as a launching pad and a seal of trust This event is aimed at festival programmers, promoters, and music industry professionals based in Madrid and other parts of Europe. The fact that the first edition has garnered significant attention in the capital reinforces the possibility of new opportunities for Canary Island artists in tours, collaborations, and festival circuits.
Santi Gutiérrez himself points to the possible expansion of the format in future editionseven in venues with greater capacity, and presents Madrid as an ideal showcase for a phenomenon that no longer understands physical borders thanks to the impact of digital platforms.
The "Canarian flow" is also featured in a documentary miniseries
The scope of the project is not limited to live events. Alongside the festival, a two-episode documentary miniseries which will premiere exclusively in CanariasPlay, the digital platform of Radio Televisión Canaria (RTVC), with the same title: «Canarias tiene el flow».
The production is structured in two chapters, "Side A" and "Side B"In a nod to the old physical music releases, the series offers a more intimate look at the movement that has transformed the archipelago's cultural scene through artist testimonials, accounts of creative processes, and personal experiences.
The documentary analyzes How this generation of musicians has managed to connect with global audiences without giving up its identity. Far from diluting its Canarian character to adapt to a standard, the "Canarian flow" is presented as a differentiating feature that has contributed to its success and that engages in direct dialogue with other European and Latin American urban scenes.
The commitment to this audiovisual complement reinforces the project's intention to build a lasting narrative around the music made in the Canary Islands, documenting a historical moment in which the Archipelago is positioned as one of the most dynamic centers of the musical scene in Spain.
With a full house in Madrid, a lineup that mixes established figures and new promises, and a strategy that combines live performance, branding and documentary, "Canarias tiene el flow" establishes itself as a milestone for the Canary Islands music scene and opens up a horizon of growth for artists from the Islands, who are now looking beyond the sea with the feeling that their sound is a stable part of the Spanish musical map.
