Malaga town's giant musical instruments vandalised by 'hooligans'

Benamocarra in Malaga province's Axarquía area has been promoting itself as a tourist destination for some years now as the birthplace of the famous Malaga composer Eduardo Ocón.

Ocón was born in 1833 in the village and died in Malaga city in 1901. The village also lays claim to the oldest municipal music band in Andalucía which is still going. To celebrate this musical heritage, in 2023 a series of giant musical instruments was installed in the streets.

But according to the town hall, over the weekend of 14/15 December, two of the giant instruments were victims of vandalism: a flute which was attached to a wall on Calle Andalucía was removed and appeared in another streets and a cello was damaged.

The town hall has since reported that "thanks to the cooperation of citizens, the flute has been found, as some hooligans had taken it down and thrown it away".

In the case of the cello located in the Florencio Palomo park, the damage will be repaired. Following these events, the town hall's public safety department has announced that "in the coming months cameras will be placed in each of the areas where the musical instruments are located to monitor this important public investment, which is having such an impact on Benamocarra, as there are many people who visit us and walk along this musical route".

The director of the Benamocarra municipal music band, José Antonio Lagos, said at the presentation of the latest instruments which were installed in summer that they are "another incentive to come to Benamocarra, to demonstrate we have the oldest music band in Andalucía". He went on to say, "I am very proud to direct it. We want Benamocarra to be a point of reference on a cultural and musical level."