LoffMusic / Granada, October 2025
The educational heart of Granada beats to the rhythm of rock and classical music.
More than 1,600 schoolchildren from all over the province have joined together in an unprecedented project with Miguel Ríos, the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada (OCG) and the band El Hombre Garabato to reinterpret two universal hymns: “Santa Lucía” and “Himno a la Alegría”.
The result: two exciting video clips that condense the power of music as a bridge between generations, art and education.
A unique initiative, promoted by the Centro del Profesorado (CEP) of Granada and the Miguel Ríos Foundation, which shows that learning can also vibrate in the key of symphonic rock.
A masterclass in music and humanity
The project was born with a premise as simple as it is powerful: to use music as a pedagogical tool to transmit values, emotion and cultural memory.
For months, teachers and school choirs have worked hand in hand with professional musicians, fine-tuning voices and learning about the transformative power of popular song.
The climax was the recording of two new versions of “Santa Lucía ” -the classic immortalized by Miguel Ríos himself- and the eternal “Himno a la Alegría”, a piece that the artist from Granada turned into a symbol of union, hope and freedom in the seventies.
“This is not just about singing; it’s about understanding that music can educate and unite,” Miguel Rios explained during the recording session. “When a child sings ‘Come to my house this Christmas’ or ‘May the music be with you,’ they are learning empathy, history and emotion at the same time.”
Rock, orchestra and classroom: a virtuous triangle
The project counted with the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada (OCG) providing the classical counterpoint and El Hombre Garabato, a band from Granada, in charge of bringing contemporary texture to the sound.
The result is an exciting hybrid: electric guitars in dialogue with violins, school choirs that fill the bars with life, and a production that sounds as monumental as it is close.
The musical direction was in charge of the CEP team and the Miguel Ríos Foundation, who designed the activity as a training process for teachers.
The objective: to provide teachers with tools to teach popular music in the classroom, bringing students closer to the sound heritage that is part of our cultural identity.
An intergenerational legacy
Miguel Ríos, who in 2025 celebrates more than six decades of career, has lost none of his passion for connecting with young audiences.
“Seeing more than a thousand children singing ‘Himno a la Alegría’ in chorus gives me back my faith in the future”, he acknowledged emotionally.
The collective energy, added to the excellence of the OCG and the sensitivity of El Hombre Garabato, makes this initiative one of the most moving musical and social experiences that Granada has experienced in recent years.
The project not only leaves two video clips as a testimony, but also marks the beginning of a new educational line that combines art, citizenship and values through music.
Music as a tool for change
Granada has shown, once again, that culture is not limited to the stage: it can also be an open school.
This union between educational institutions and professional artists consolidates a powerful idea: music not only teaches notes, but also empathy, history and community.
In times where screens tend to isolate, this project has literally made a whole generation sing on the same frequency.
And that, in itself, is a hymn to joy.
