Few cultural societies can boast of being centenarians in Tenerife, let alone the fact that, for 33 years, a single president has been in charge of it. This is the case of the Orfeón La Paz Cultural Societywho turns 105 today, February 2, the date on which Esteban Afonso, who led the entity until 2021, will be honored.
The Teatro Leal de La Laguna hosts this afternoon, starting at 6:00 p.m., the celebration of those 105 years with the projection of the documentary entitled Orfeón La Paz. 100 years of history.
It narrates how in the first decades of the 20th century there were hardly any musical groups that participated in religious functions. There was a musical vacuum both in the choral and in the lyrical. Thus, it is said that on February 2, 1918, in the Cathedral of La Laguna, a mass was celebrated in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria, where the first choir of the now hundred-year-old entity performed.
The end of the First World War prompted the choir to adopt its final name Orfeón La Paz. One hundred years later, this documentary reviews its history, accompanying it with the celebrations that took place at the Centenary, in 2018.
Participating in this production, with their testimonies, are Benito Quintero, Pablo Reyes, Esteban Afonso, Julián Brito, José Manuel Gil, José González Pepe, Israel Palmero, Andrés Zamora, Luz Marina Muñoz, Juan Ramón Vinagre, María Candelaria Hernández and Fernando García- Camper. The direction, editing and script have been carried out by Jesús Lacorte.
This afternoon’s event will also serve, as has already been said, to honor Esteban Afonso, who in 2021 handed over the baton of the presidency to Julián Brito Serrador.
Carnival
The Orfeón La Paz returns this year to the rondallas contest of the Santa Cruz Carnival after the stoppage imposed by COVID-19. For this, next day 8, at 8:30 p.m., at the headquarters of the society, they will present the costume that they are going to wear. This act will allow to know part of his repertoire by the hand of the rondalla del Orfeón, and in which, in addition, he will have the participation of the comparsa Los Joroperos and Abubukaka.
