Anthem of Transvulcania

Arranged and produced by Sergio Gartzini

About Transvulcania

Transvulcania is one of the world's most demanding mountain ultramarathons, held annually on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands since 2009. The total route spans 73 km with a cumulative elevation gain of around 4,350 metres, climbing from the Fuencaliente lighthouse at sea level to Roque de los Muchachos, the island's highest point at 2,421 metres, before descending to the finish in Los Llanos de Aridane. Considered one of the hardest races of its kind in the world, it draws elite and amateur runners from across the globe and has featured in the Skyrunner World Series, the UTMB World Series, and the Mountain Running World Cup, establishing itself as a premier event on the international trail running calendar.

The Creative Process

This work was born as a project to give La Palma's most renowned race an official song. It was created, managed, and driven by Kikazaru Films, an audiovisual company based on the neighbouring island of Tenerife, with a clear concept: a piece entirely conceived on La Palma, performed by musicians from the island, and recorded there as well. The process began with a musical demo, from which I developed the arrangements for the orchestral ensemble. Once the arrangements were finalised and reviewed, we moved into recording. Over a week and a half at T-REC Studios in La Palma, every performer was recorded separately for logistical reasons: the string section, tuba, trombone, French horn, trumpet, guitar, percussion, flute, two sopranos, and two tenors. Post-production followed, where I mixed and mastered the final product — a considerable challenge given the project exceeded 300 tracks — and introduced new elements such as pads, pluck-style synthesisers, processed percussion, and additional guitars to fill out and reinforce the production.

Purpose of the Production

This project was created to give the race a sound of its own and to serve as its sonic identity. Given Transvulcania's significant international standing, an original composition offers a way to strengthen and elevate the event as a whole.