SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 3 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The portico of the Chipude square, a church that also houses an image of the Virgin of Candelaria, has been the setting for the unveiling of the poster, herald, and event programme for the festivities honouring the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands, following the tradition started in 2021 of presenting the celebrations on each of the islands in the archipelago.
The main attractions of the day were the Gomero whistle, and the chácaras and drums performed by the Asociación Cultural del Silbo Gomero and Coros y Danzas de La Gomera. This was followed by the unveiling of the festival poster, crafted by the Gomero designer Aarón Morales. Prior to this, attendees had the opportunity to browse through craft stalls organised by the Cabildo de La Gomera.
The Mayor of Candelaria, Mari Brito; the town crier and president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo; the Mayor of Vallehermoso, Emiliano Coello; the Prior of the Dominican Fathers of the Basilica of Candelaria, Fray Juan Manuel Martínez; the Councillor for Culture of the Candelaria Town Council, Manuel González, and the author of the festival poster, Aarón Morales, gathered at Chipude Square.
The Mayor of Candelaria expressed gratitude for the warm reception extended by the Cabildo of La Gomera and the City Council of Vallehermoso, while praising the Virgin of Candelaria, the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands. Mari Brito highlighted that, as is the custom every year, the municipality is ready to welcome the thousands of pilgrims who travel to Candelaria, visits that occur throughout the year but peak from the end of July to August.
The festivities are scheduled between 8 and 18 August, commencing with the opening speech by Casimiro Cuberlo, to whom thanks were given for his readiness and cooperation from the very beginning. The opening speech will feature a musical overture by Coros y Danzas de La Gomera, followed by the world premiere of the opera ‘Chaxiraxi’, with libretto by Benito Cabrera and music by Emilio Coello, after the announcer has concluded.
The image of the Virgin Mary transcends borders, particularly in Latin America, where it was carried by sailors, devotees, and migrants. One such location is the city of Puno in Peru, where the most significant ritual, musical, dance, and religious event in the country takes place in honour of the Virgin of Candelaria. This event has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO due to the multitude of artistic symbols from various civilisations that it embodies. As a result, Candelaria and Puno will sign a twinning agreement between the two cities on 13 August.
The president of the Cabildo of La Gomera and the festival herald underlined that this selection of the Island is an opportunity for the twinning of two communities and to reinforce the faith in Our Lady of Candelaria, a devotion shared with the people of Chipude. Additionally, he emphasised that this is a great chance to showcase to the people of the Canary Islands the cultural values and traditions of the Island, which will be represented in the proclamation event, where the connections between La Gomera and Candelaria will be explored.
Gratitude was also expressed towards the mayor of the town “for her exceptional work, for the persistent efforts for the candle-makers, for guiding the municipalities of the Canary Islands towards good governance, and for the outstanding event programme designed for these festivities.”
The mayor of Vallehermoso, Emiliano Coello, conveyed thanks to Candelaria for visiting the municipality and acknowledged the devotion to the Morenita throughout the Canary Islands. Coello commended the work of the artist from La Gomera who created the poster, highlighting how his artistry conveys the virtue of the inhabitants of La Gomera and the dedication and hard work they put into showcasing the cultural richness of the town.
Prior Juan Manuel Martínez welcomed the celebration of faith and mentioned a Canarian saying that states that every Canarian carries an altar in their heart for the Virgin of Candelaria. “Devotion to the Patron Saint unites us, and although each town has its unique traits, the roots of devotion to the Virgin unite us,” he remarked.
The Councillor for Culture and Festivals, Manuel González, stressed the involvement of Canarian artists in the celebrations of the Patron Saint, this year featuring the participation of Pedro Guerra, Son 21, or the performance ‘Cantador Sinfónico’ with the voices of Manuel Estupiñan, Ciro Corujo, and Pedro Manuel Afonso, as well as ‘Angoro’ from the Pieles Company.
Arón Morales, the creator of the poster, elaborated that “nothing in this design is random, from the colour scheme, which encompasses the greenish-blue of our seas and the whitish hues reminiscent of the waves crashing in the Plaza de la Patrona or the mist sometimes found in Chipude.” “I opted for the yellow colour of the cloak because it signifies the colour of the attire worn by women who had made a vow to the Virgin,” he elucidated. According to Morales, Gomera symbolism is present in the Gomera whistle, the chacaras, and the drum.
