Gran Canaria launches a sound map to preserve its rural heritage

The Biosphere Reserve collects fourteen iconic sounds of the island's countryside to share them globally.

Image of an antique microphone in a rural setting in Gran Canaria.
IA

Image of an antique microphone in a rural setting in Gran Canaria.

The Union of Biosphere Reserve Associations has launched an interactive sound map featuring fourteen representative sounds of Gran Canaria's rural heritage for global dissemination.

The project, titled Voces y Sonidos de las Montañas Sagradas, aims to document the island's ethnographic richness through recordings that capture the essence of rural life. The collection includes everyday sounds such as goat milking, water flowing through irrigation channels, traditional cave carving, and agricultural labor.
The initiative stands out for its participatory nature, as local residents have led the research and production of the materials. The content is hosted on global platforms like Wikipedia and Google Earth Outreach, allowing Gran Canaria's cultural legacy to reach an international audience.
The project is funded by the Insular Institute for the Management of World Heritage and the Biosphere Reserve. Its integration into global digital tools makes it a pioneer in the dissemination of cultural and ethnographic heritage within Spain.
The collection features elements such as ancestral weather forecasting, traditional farming tools, and communal work practices. The organization plans to expand this virtual library with new formats, including videos and articles, to establish a living archive of the island's rural identity.