The Parliament of the Canary Islands gave the green light this Tuesday, May 26, with the unanimous support of all political groups represented in the Chamber, to modify the lyrics of the regional anthem. The initiative aims to incorporate La Graciosa as the eighth island of the Canary archipelago.

The bill was passed in plenary session after previously receiving the unanimous backing of the Commission for Governance, Autonomous Development, and Justice. This modification adapts the official anthem lyrics to recognize La Graciosa as an island, following the reform of the Canary Islands' Statute of Autonomy approved in 2018. The traditional reference to the “seven rocks” will be replaced by “eight rocks”.

Starting next May 30, Canary Islands Day, citizens will be able to sing the anthem with its new wording: “I am the shadow of an almond tree, I am volcano, saltpeter, and lava. Spread across eight rocks, the pulse of my soul beats.”

The president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Astrid Pérez, positively assessed the unanimous approval. She highlighted that “the achieved unanimity reflects the commitment of all political forces to a historical and sentimental reality shared by all Canary Islanders.” Pérez added that the anthem's update “represents a gesture of justice and pride for La Graciosa and for the entire archipelago, especially on such a significant date as Canary Islands Day.”