
The Carnival in the street begins to be something more than a mirage. The transfer of dates to June by the Santa Cruz City Council and the first exhaustion data from the sixth COVID wave, as well as the different opinions that the end of the pandemic is near, makes the option of having a party in the street is no longer advertised as almost impossible. The Councilor for Fiestas, Alfonso Cabello, acknowledged yesterday that it is something that they have not yet ruled out, although it continues to be difficult. “We are optimistic, if it is possible and progress is made in the evolution of the pandemic that allows us to organize on the street, we will organize it,” he said. The mayor insisted that this celebration has always been on the table, accompanied by the tagline “if sanitary conditions allow it”.
In fact, in the meetings that have been held with the different groups of the Carnival so far, this option of suspension on the street has not yet been officially communicated. Also yesterday, the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, at the presentation of the Carnival poster, insisted that “we are not ruling anything out. Hopefully, between now and June, the Government of Spain will declare the pandemic over. Only then would there be Carnival on the street, which is not understood with capacity or with a safety distance. “We are talking about a Carnival designed for thousands of people to enjoy safely. Hopefully in a few months the situation will change and that would be when we would think about the street, ”he said.
The mayor also advanced that during those June dates the installation of the amusement fair will be authorized, which will be done “with limited capacity and complying with all health regulations.” And it is that Bermúdez stressed that they are decisions that “will help the economy of small businessmen and freelancers who need it.”
In this context, yesterday the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria got off the hook with the announcement that they are also considering having a Carnival in the street on those dates. This was pointed out by the mayor, Augusto Hidalgo, who pointed out, in statements collected by Europa Press, that, although the 22 planned performances are maintained in February and March, if the sanitary conditions allow it, they would hold a Carnival in the street, although trying not to coincide with that of Santa Cruz.
“We could say that Las Palmas is also signing up for Carnival in June,” the Santa Cruz Festival councilor replied ironically when asked about this announcement. “The only ones who have said that we are taking Carnival to June are us and I understand that this provokes reactions in other places,” he added.
As for the venue, yesterday Cabello admitted that, although the Fairground is still the first option, “the truth is that we do not rule out anything, including the port area.” Asked about this change of position after last week’s announcement of giving up the Los Llanos Dock due to the Port’s refusal to cede it for 60 days, the mayor pointed out that “my first option continues to be the Fairgrounds and we are working for this , in order to announce an agreement this week. We say that we are not giving up anything because, although the Port initially said no, now it has rethought it a bit, but our first option today is the Fairgrounds”, he insisted.
As for the dates, Cabello explained that on June 1 the Carnival will start with the presentation of the candidates for queens and that, from then on, “the different contests and galas will be celebrated with the splendor of all the groups and disciplines of the Carnival”, whose members, he assured on several occasions, are “very excited and eager” to participate. Of course, he warned that he could make a change in the case of adult murgas. “If from March 15 Tenerife continues with the same restrictions due to the pandemic and rehearsals cannot be resumed, the bases will be changed and they will have to participate with a single song, which would mean sacrificing the murgas final”, revealed Alfonso Cabello.
Poster
Yesterday, the Autonomous Organization for Fiestas and Recreational Activities (Oafar) presented the official poster for Carnival 2022, which this year is dedicated to science fiction. The one chosen by popular vote is called Carnival 2222? and belongs to chicharrero rapper Borja Jiménez. The artist, better known as Bejo, achieved 28% of the more than 10,000 votes registered at www.carnavaldetenerife.com, between January 13 and 23.
It is an allegory of the Tenerife Carnival in 200 years and whose main element is a cyborg that is surrounded by numerous elements that allude to the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the chicharrera culture and science fiction.
“Carnival is a party that I have lived since I was little and it has been a pleasure for me to create this poster, which is full of color and joy, which is typical of this festivity. I had always wanted to participate in some way in the Carnival and, although I only had a week to do it, I took it forward in digital format, ”explained the artist during the presentation of his work at the Casa del Carnaval.
A few words to which the mayor of the capital, José Manuel Bermúdez, added, indicating that “the poster shows the essence of a festival that is of international tourist interest and that invites us to think about a future of conquests and achievements thanks to the new technologies”.
After publicly congratulating the winner, Bermúdez highlighted “the enthusiasm and joy that this year’s poster conveys and that invites us to have a future full of achievements.” For Alfonso Cabello, “both for the chicharreros and for our visitors, the poster is the letter of introduction to our most important festival.”
*By Sofía Negrín and Natalia Torres.