Ballades i cantades (Dances and Songs)

Formentera, like its neighbor Ibiza, has a rich and very lively folkloristic heritage - a great merit of the "colles de ball" (dancers´ groups), dedicated to the preservation of dances and songs, and proudly perform them at the high festivals of the Pitiusas.

The 'Ball Pagès' and the 'Cantades' (the traditional dances and songs) are a true cultural treasure that bring us back to ancient times, their symbols and the way of entertaining in ancient times – an attraction worth to see and during which you can enjoy the most traditional Formentera.

The costumes, the instruments and the music play an important role. The men wear wide, white trousers turned up at the waist, a linen shirt, a dark vest - 'samarreta' - and a big woolen cap that is either red or black. The women wear silk or fine wool, with vibrant colors. Their tight jacket is called `jac'. On their heads head they wear a woolen or silk headscarf. To visit the Mass on Sundays, they replace the 'jac' with a small cloak, on which they place golden chains with a cross, and wear different necklaces. They adorn their costume with gold buttons, rings, and earrings.

This spectacular and very old dance takes place before your eyes with the sound of percussion and wind instruments such as the drum, the castanets, the flute, the 'xeremia' (a kind of bagpipes) and the 'espasí' (a sword-like metal instrument).

But if something really arouses your attention, then it is the 'cantades', sounds of prehistoric times, sung by experienced voices that are capable of producing hardly reproducible throat sounds. They are seven- or eight-syllable verbs, sung by men as well as by women. It is more a recitation, and many researchers believe that this song has a Moorish origin.

Come along one of the places or places and enjoy this show. It is not something you can see every day.

The most important days on which the 'Ballades i cantades' are performed are:

May, 30 (Sant Ferran. Plaza de Sant Ferran)
June, 24 (Sant Joan. Plaza de Sant Ferran)
July, 16 (Mare de Déu del Carme. Port of La Savina)
July, 25  (Sant Jaume. Plaza de Sant Francesc)
August, 5 (Santa Maria. Plaza de Sant Ferran)
October, 12 (Mare de Déu del Pilar. La Mola church)
December, 3 (Sant Francesc Xavier. Plaza de Sant Francesc)
December, 26 (Cala Saona)