At the begining of the twentieth century, the Canary Islands artist Nestor de la Torre was mesmerized by the Mid Atlantic sea. He gave his series of paintings the name Poem of the Atlantic. It took him ten years to complete his work. The final rsult is a series of oil on canvas (1.26 X 1.26 cms) painted by the sea of Las Canteras.
   Nestor de la Torre has brought to the public throughout Europe the light, the waters, the Atlantic fauna of the Islands with a mythological background. Juan Jose Falcon Sanabria, one of the most important musicians and composers of the Canary Islands, had put music to the paintings in his composition entitled Poema Coral del Atlantico (An Atlantic Choral Poem). This musical piece has also been inspired by the lyrics of the poet Orlando Hernindez in its evocation of the sea world.
   But it is in the music, perhaps, where the sea plays its most important role. The songs celebrate fishermen, lovers that are separated by the sea, festivals and funerals, always by the sea. One of the most traditional and popular sea celebrations is La fiesta de la rama (The fiesta of the bough). This is a traditional celebration where the people and the sea are brought together to plead fertility to the sea. La fiesta de la rama is celebrated in several towns of the Gran Canarian (Agaete, Galdar, Guia, Artenara) and is celebrated by the entire population. The fiesta takes place the 4th of August every year. It starts at 10 in the morning with the Danza de la Rama (The Dance of the Rama). While dancing, celebrators go to the high point of the town to take a bough, and then they proceed to the coast, while continuously dancing to the rhythm of the tambourines. When they finally reach the coast, after going through the fishermenvillages, they submerge the boughs in the sea. Traditionally the dance was performed by the seamen and fishermen. This is one of the oldest traditions of the islands. Some chronicles of the xv century described this festivity.
   Many traditional songs celebrate the sea or allude to the sea in their lyrics. Jose Perez Vidal has said: "The sea is for the Canary Islands, as well as for any island, the main element of its geography, its life, and its culture".