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Walking along the Paseo Vista Alegre in Torrevieja you cannot escape it: the life-size statues of the musicians showing their skills in a kind of circle. Good enough for an admiring smile from many passers-by and often a photo with the musicians. The statues lot is strategically placed near the shady long bench on the promenade and close to the tourist night market and the harbor. It is part of a series of statues and monuments that give the city's promenades a pleasant respite from everyday life. Most of these 'works of art' refer to the ancient history of Torrevieja pre-tourism. The topics that keep returning are fishing, the salt industry and the ship transports to distant Cuba, where the tradition of singing habaneras songs was picked up. The latter eventually resulted in a grand annual song festival, which attracts choirs from all over the world to this part of the Mediterranean.
The sculpture group of the musicians also harks back to a distant past, but at the same time honors an ongoing tradition. That is the tradition of street music. Without that deep-rooted habit, many a fiesta would become a bit boring. All of these parties rely heavily on the willingness of local musicians to participate in the lavish wind and drum work. And that willingness is and will remain great, because children in Spain are spoon-fed to take their place in the street orchestra. So perhaps the musicians on the promenade are both a tribute to those who were, are and will come.
