The Casa del Carnaval has reopened its doors after a renovation with significant updates. One of the most notable features is a complete exhibition dedicated to the rondallas of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The display, titled “Lyrics and Tradition,” takes a journey through the history of this group, from the formation of each troupe to the present day, including the first contest – held in 1961 – or the years when it was precisely the rondallas with their performances in the streets that kept alive a festival that was banned by the dictatorship.
The rondallas represent an exclusive genre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and its carnival, always in rhythm with their instruments and voices, impeccably dressed in their fantasies, bringing the best harmonies and all the passion to the stage. In this exhibition, visitors can find sheet music, scripts, historical notes, audiovisual material, and even some of the most celebrated costumes in rondalla history.
The Casa del Carnaval: Home of the Rondallas / El Día
Welcome, Your Majesties
For this return to activity, the Casa del Carnaval proudly displays the costume of the current queen, Corina Mrazek González, designed by Santi Castro, titled “The World” in representation of the Añaza Carrefour shopping centre, accompanied by the fantasies of her court of honour. While exploring over 1,000 square metres of exhibition space, visitors can also admire the costume of the children’s queen, Sofía Rodríguez Navarro, titled “My Favorite Moment” and created by Alexis Santana; and that of the queen of the seniors, María Isabel García, who triumphed with the fantasy “March of 33”, created by Dani Mena.
The Casa del Carnaval: Home of the Rondallas / El Día
Mingorance in Memory
True carnival history lovers should pay attention to the collector’s items that have been added to the “Pioneers’ Showcase”, already considered one of the gems of the permanent exhibition, which captures the essence and origin of the celebration in Santa Cruz. This showcase pays an emotional tribute to Nicolás Mingorance, lyricist (or “sign-writer” as he called himself) of the Afilarmónica NiFú NiFá, with donated items such as original scripts, magazines, and songs from Fufa. Also on display is the saxophone donated by the lyricist in 2018 and awards like the “Criticón de Honor”. Mingorance was born on a Carnival Sunday in 1928 and passed away – coincidentally – on another Carnival Sunday, this year 2024. Just last year, six decades had passed since that game-changing Carnival in 1963, a significant moment in his life and in carnival history. It was the year of his debut in NiFú NiFá, where he also wrote his first murga song for the Afilarmónica. Three years later, in 1966, he penned “El Cubanito”, the longest-running murga song that still continues to be sung, nearly 60 years later, by young and old, carnival after carnival.
Over 128,000 Visits in Six Years
The numbers speak for themselves: since its opening in 2017, the Casa del Carnaval has welcomed 128,635 visitors. Of these, 44,740 were foreign tourists, 34,101 came from other Spanish autonomous communities, and 49,808 were residents of the Canary Islands. In line with this, 2024 has started strongly, with over 10,000 visits in just the first quarter of the year. Regarding the nationalities of visitors, Spaniards take the first position, followed by the French, with Germans completing the top three.
The Casa del Carnaval is open for visits from Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:30, with free entry available and tickets can be acquired from the website www.casacarnavalsantacruz.com.
