Precisely one hundred years later, San Juan de la Rambla celebrated on Sunday that on 17th August 1925, King Alfonso XIII granted the title of Villa to the locality, as evidence of his “royal appreciation for the town due to the growing development of its agriculture and its constant allegiance to the Monarchy.” The highlight of the commemoration of this anniversary began at seven in the evening at the Rosario Oramas square in the historic centre, consisting of the “representation” of everything that defines the Villa and “how it has evolved over the past hundred years,” as highlighted by the San Juan de la Rambla Town Hall.
The historical tour was led by the beloved son José Antonio Oramas, while the official chronicler of San Juan de la Rambla, Pedro Ángel Gómez, outlined what has been accomplished in the municipality regarding the centenary celebrations from 2020 to date. Furthermore, as indicated by the Town Hall, attendees enjoyed moments of “special significance that will go down in municipal history”.
The writer, journalist, and teacher Loly Armas recited the danced poem “San Juan de la Rambla,” taken from the work “Vuelta a la Isla” by Pedro García Cabrera. The poem was danced by the local choreography group Titanium. Additionally, the play “Hace 100 años” was premiered, presented by the local groups La Chistera and La Alhóndiga.
The ramblero Town Hall highlighted, as the peak moment of the event, the premiere of the symphonic poem “Del mar a la cumbre,” dedicated to the centenary, which was composed by José Luis Peiró. It was performed by the two local bands together, the Alcaraván Artistic Association and the XIX de Marzo Musical Group, both recipients of the gold medal of the Villa de San Juan de la Rambla.
Participating in the event were the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila. Together with the ramblero mayor, Juan Ramos, and the Culture Councillor, Juan Siverio, they expressed the “importance” of this date for both the region and the island as a whole.
A special mention was made of the Kings of Spain, who hold the Honorary Presidency of the Centenary Commemorative Committee. It was made clear, as reported by the ramblero Town Hall, that the Office of His Majesty the King, through an official communication from the Head of the House, conveyed the greetings and congratulations of Their Majesties to all the people of San Juan de la Rambla on this significant anniversary. Although they could not attend the institutional event due to scheduling constraints, they expressed their gratitude for the invitation and acknowledged the municipality on this historic anniversary.
“This institutional gesture has highlighted the historical and cultural importance of the centenary of the granting of the title of Villa, reaffirming San Juan de la Rambla’s role as one of the municipalities most committed to preserving its heritage and collective identity.”
The ramblero Town Hall reminds us that the Honorary Committee is composed of the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez; the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun; the President of the Canary Parliament, Astrid Pérez; the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila; the President of Fecam (Canarian Federation of Municipalities), María Brito; the Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco Javier García; the Bishop of the Diocese of Nivariense, Eloy Alberto Santiago; and the Mayor of San Juan de la Rambla, Juan Ramos.
The advisory committee, for its part, is composed of the beloved sons José Antonio Oramas and Esteban de León; the local chronicler, Pedro Gómez; educator José Antonio Falcón; Professor Josefa Dorta; the former director of the Canarian Institute for Equality, Isabel de Luis; the President of the Martín Rodríguez Cultural Association, Julia Borges; the President of the Cultural Association Los Alzados, Carmen Nieves Luis; the President of the Medianías Cooperative, Manuel Reyes; the former President of the XIX de Marzo Musical Group, María de las Nieves Dorta; the Director of the Titanium choreography group, Noemí Díaz; the former Culture Councillors Iván García and José María Pérez, and the municipal employee Emeterio García.
