Las Encantadas

Las Encantadas was the eloquent name bestowed upon the Galápagos Islands by the Dominican friar and Panamanian bishop, Fray Tomás de Berlanga. He had discovered these enchanted isles quite by chance as the ship he was on, sailing by order of the Holy Roman Emperor, was blown off course hundreds of miles from its Peruvian destination, landing him among the islands of the Columbus Archipelago. Born in fire and rich with natural beauty Las Encantadas held some mystery for sailors as these isles would seemingly appear, and disappear, from sight, apparently becoming lost in the mists and sea currents that surrounded the islands. Las Encantadas also held some intrigue for the American author Herman Melville, who in his novella by the same name, included ten fictional short sketches about the Galápagos Islands in The Piazza Tales. Kerion Anderson tells the story of these now well-known islands in his own inimitable way with his work, Las Encantadas, by drawing musical sketches for us that depict the discovery of this archipelago with their sandy warm beaches, their rugged and forbidding coast lines with towering rocks standing as sentinels to the peaceful, blue-watered bays. When listening to Las Encantadas one can’t help but picture a ship arriving among the isles, with sails unfurled, and sailors standing on deck gazing in wonderment at the strange animals, colorful flora and the exotic birds swirling overhead. The uplifting spirit of Las Encantadas takes us from island to island until the music bids farewell to these enchanted isles as the ship sails away at the setting of the sun, leaving us with a sense of pathos and wonder.