In 2011, ORFEUM – Organization of European Music Festivals, together with ASMÚSICA – Association of Musicians of the Canary Islands, created and organized the “Canarias International Awards” to recognize the creative talent of various artists from the Canary Islands.

In that first edition, the awards were presented to:

Santiago Melián – A renowned voice of the Canary Islands, both in folklore and popular music, as well as bolero, ballads, and other musical styles. His distinctive and powerful voice stands out for its strength, tone, and interpretative quality. He is also an excellent instrumentalist. In addition, he is skilled in the fine arts and has held numerous exhibitions of his paintings.

Polo Ortí – An international artist from the Canary Islands, Polo is one of the best jazz pianists and composers in Spain. He also works as a teacher, transmitting his musical excellence to his students.

Benito Cabrera – A great instrumentalist, composer, and promoter of Canarian music through the timple, a traditional instrument of Canarian folklore that he has successfully introduced and fused with other musical styles.

Ely Qurbelo – A young performer with significant international recognition at various festivals in the United States, Romania, Poland, Italy, Latvia, and Belarus, where she has received numerous awards.

Ruimán – Also a representative of the Canary Islands abroad, this composer, singer, and instrumentalist from Tenerife has won major awards in the United States, Italy, Moldova, Portugal, Latvia, and Lithuania. He has also been the winner of the well-known “Festival de Candelaria”, held in the south of the island of Tenerife. He masters several instruments, including the piano, and is also a certified professional piano tuner.

The awards were presented by Goyo Tavío and Guillermo Albelo, Vice President and President of ORFEUM.