MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF COLLA
44 years ago, a group of young people from the Es Vedrà Cultural Center gathered to form the Sa Colla des Vedrà Folkloric Group and give the people of Sant Agustí the opportunity to enjoy the dances and Ibizan customs through the people of the village themselves.
The first dance performance took place in Sant Agustí on the first Sunday of July 1981.
Many people have been part of this Colla and have participated in the numerous activities carried out over the years, always to transmit the dance, music, and culture to each generation. They have participated in dance performances both in Ibiza and abroad, with practically an annual exchange trip, both internationally; from Germany, Portugal,… and within Spanish Territory; Galicia, Murcia, Ciudad Real, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands or the Canary Islands, among many others.
They have also revived traditional tasks and festivals for years to show the little ones how people lived and worked years ago, such as the pig slaughter day, making wine, Ossos amb Col, workshops for making bread, flaons, or bunyols.
Other activities, such as the rural festival at Pou de Rafals, are a meeting point for dance, but also for showcasing rural tasks like plowing, threshing, pruning pines, traditional well-drawing; and reviving traditional rural games or slingshot shooting.
Every year there are dates that resonate with dance and music, such as Saint Peter’s Night, the first Sunday of July with the craft fair, Saint Augustine’s Day, and Pou de Rafals; in these, the clicking of castanets, the turns, and the singing are essential.
Also important are their recordings, such as the video of “Festeig Pagès”, and the publications of two books: “Collection of Estribots in Sant Agustí” from the ‘estribots’ contest that was organized for over 10 years, and the book by “Pep Xico Bet (1876-1937): Life and Songs, a joint publication with the Sant Agustí Residents’ Association.
The dance and instrument rehearsals every Friday encourage the little ones to continue the tradition, as does their annual campout that announces the beginning of summer and marks the end of the school year. This campout has been held every summer since almost its inception and continues to be maintained thanks to Pep Hereva, who selflessly lends his countryside property.
Many people, both young and old, have been part of this Colla, but also parents and grandparents who have ironed costumes, starched ruffles, tightened headpieces so that Sa Colla des Vedrà could shine so brightly for many years!
