Yesterday evening, Candelaria kicked off the festivities honouring the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands with the reading of the proclamation by Casimiro Curbelo, president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, who advocated for “strengthening what is common through solidarity and tolerance”.
The musical start was led by the group Coros y Danzas de La Gomera, with a significant presence from all the municipalities of the Island who inaugurated this edition to the tunes of chácaras and drums while carrying the traditional ramo de Arure, from the municipality of Valle Gran Rey, as an offering to the Virgin of Candelaria made up of fruits, vegetables, and flowers by the Cultural Association El ramo de Arure.
The first speaker was the rector of the Basilica and prior of the Dominican Fathers, Juan Manuel Martínez, who greeted those in attendance to “the home of all Canarians”, motivating the faithful to gather with faith and devotion to honour their patron saint.
On her part, the Mayor of Candelaria, Mari Brito, commenced her address by emphasising the significance of the figure of the Virgin of Candelaria in the establishment of the Marian Village from its origins, with the appearance to the Guanches, up to the present. “Her presence has endured here indefinitely, but her worship and reverence have spread across oceans to settle in numerous territories, countless to enumerate, where the Lady of Candela receives eternal devotion.”
Concerning La Gomera, the mayor expressed gratitude for the “affection and attention” the Cabildo has shown during the ceremony, last night’s gathering, and these August celebrations in general. “It has been quite a while since an external institution has engaged so deeply with our Virgin and this is a gift we will never forget and that touches us. This same engagement is precisely what we request from other entities for a festivity that spans all the Islands but which our municipality solely embraces.”
She also provided a brief account of the town crier Casimiro Curbelo, “one of the most prominent figures in contemporary public and social life in La Gomera and the Canary Islands”. Prior to giving him the platform, she appreciated his involvement and willingness to be the town crier from the very beginning.
In his address, Curbelo called for “reinforcing what is common through solidarity and tolerance” because, as he stated, “society, far too often, progresses towards objectives that are distant from human values and mutual respect”, alluding to the global scenario and the humanitarian migration crisis that the Canary Islands are undergoing. In this context, he reiterated that the island society must not overlook that “we too were a land of emigrants”, and thus urged not to lose sight of the “vital equilibrium between social justice and solidarity among equals”.
He also touched on the fervour surrounding the Virgin of Candelaria and offered words of commendation to the numerous pilgrims who set off from various points of the Island to approach the basilica during these dates “in search of sanctuary, support, and encouragement, particularly when they encounter an impediment along their journey.”
Curbelo placed special emphasis on the historical and social bonds between La Gomera and Candelaria, initially with a focus on pottery and fishing, later with the influx of hundreds of Gomeros to engage in tomato cultivation and, during the 80s, the surge in tourism that attracted many more natives to this side of the island. “This town welcomed hundreds of sons and daughters from La Gomera who have bequeathed the legacy of honourable, dedicated, and industrious individuals, who have experienced the struggles of labour to transcend poverty.”
FIRST WORK
Following the opening discourse, it was time for another highly anticipated event of the festivities: the world premiere of the opera Chaxiraxi, featuring a libretto by Benito Cabrera and music by Emilio Coello, narrating the account of the discovery of the Virgin’s statue by the Guanches and the subsequent occurrences. “It is a tale of awe and discord, culminating in the assimilation process of the new way of perceiving the religious and social milieu of the islanders,” as conveyed by the council.
The opera was made feasible thanks to the sponsorship of the Candelaria City Council, with the collaboration of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Tenerife, the CajaCanarias Foundation, the Loro Parque Foundation, and the Basilica of Candelaria itself.
