Radio hits the streets: A chronicle of the 10th Palique Gathering that has the Canary Islands buzzing
A radio studio in the heart of Triana
If you were strolling down Calle Triana in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria the other day, you would have stumbled upon a sight you don't see every day. Microphones, cables snaking across the cobblestones, and a crowd gathered around a mixing desk. No, it wasn't a film shoot. It was Radio Canaria, which had moved its studios out onto the street to celebrate something big: the tenth anniversary of Palique, a project that's spent a decade proving that radio is so much more than just a transistor.
I swear you could feel the atmosphere. People stopping in their tracks, leaning out of their windows, or sitting at nearby cafes to soak up what was happening. And there's a special kind of magic to live broadcasting, face-to-face with the public. It reminds you that radio can be exactly that – a loudspeaker for the neighbourhood, for the kids' laughter and the stories of those of us with a few grey hairs.
Ten years of Palique: educating, connecting, and making a difference
Palique isn't some new flash in the pan. For ten school years, they've been putting education under the microphone. Teachers, students, families... they've all been through its studios (or school playgrounds) to show that radio communication is still an incredible tool. Not just for learning to speak well or conquer stage fright, but for building community. For those two days, Triana became the heart of that philosophy.
There was a bit of everything:
- Special live broadcasts with Radio Canaria, linking up with schools from all the islands.
- Workshops for teachers to swap tips and stories on using radio in the classroom. Folks didn't just come to listen; they came to get stuck in.
- Street-level interviews with the real stars: the students, who shared what "doing radio" means to them. One kid confessed his favourite part was playing music, and I couldn't help but remember making mixtapes with classic Radiohead tracks for my mates.
- Impromptu musical performances spilling out from the street speakers themselves, blending the ambient sound with the airwaves.
The best part was seeing the mix of generations. Grandparents asking about the old "valves," and kids effortlessly working the digital mixing desks. Radio belongs to everyone, and in Triana, it was clear it doesn't discriminate by age.
Radio that resonates
As Friday afternoon rolled into evening and the crew started packing up, people were still hanging around chatting near the speakers. You could tell something bigger than just an official event had happened. In ten years, Palique has achieved what few educational projects do: making people feel it's theirs. Hearing a high school kid say that radio taught him about teamwork. Or an experienced teacher confess he'd never seen his students so fired up as when you put a mic in front of them.
Because that's what this broadcasting gig is all about, really. Not just frequencies and gear, but shared emotions. It's a "good morning" that reaches thousands of homes at breakfast. It's a song that transports you to another time. Like when 'Creep' by Radiohead came through the street monitors, and everyone – young and old – fell silent for a few seconds. Because that song's about feeling like you don't belong, something we've all felt at some point. The complete opposite of what happened in Triana those days: there, we all felt part of something.
Here's to many more years of Palique. Long live radio.