Los Rumberos in the Carnival Main Parade 5 March 2019
One of my favourite components of carnival, comparsasin Santa Cruz de Tenerife are said to be similar to the Brazillian Carnival Blocks, but actually appear to have more in common with the dancing, marching and drumming Samba Schools that have a strong community basis and are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood.
Founded by Manuel Monzón and a group of friends from the Nuestra Señora de África Marketon 14 December 1965, it was the following year when this group presented its own costume, repertoire and flag. Los Rumberos was the first comparsa to go abroad, visiting Cádiz, Madrid, Paris, Viareggio (Italy) and Havana (Cuba) and in its prize list is the privilege of being the first to have won four first consecutive prizes in Presentation.
The decree also recalled that in September 2012 Monzón received, posthumously, the recognition as Son of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The star traditional event this weekend, on Sunday 16 June 2019, is the Romería de San Isidro in Tacoronte, about which, sadly, I can find no further details online, but suffice to say it will be a day filled with the usual measures of music, dancing, food and wine.
On the way to the new world, Humboldt spent almost a week in Tenerife in June of 1799, climbing the Pico del Teide, with his expedition and a group of mules and, visiting places like La Orotava, La Laguna and Santa Cruz. He was particularly interested in the Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden) in Puerto de la Cruz, which was created in 1788. A happy thought, as Humboldt observed, to introduce useful plants to Europe. He liked the island very much: on his descent through the valley of La Orotava he praised the beauty of the island and described Tenerife as "a splendid land, until now I have not found anything more majestic". Humboldt was also enthusiastic about the orchid garden Sitio Litre in Puerto de la Cruz, which was created more than 230 years ago.
Monday 17 June - Conference "La estancia de Humboldt en Tenerife" (Humboldt's stay in Tenerife) with Isidoro Sánchez, in the Casino of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Wednesday 19 June - Various celebrations in honour of the 220th Anniversary of Humboldt's arrival in port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Thursday 20 June - There will be a Humboldt event in the Jardín Bótanico, Puerto de la Cruz.
Sunday 23 June - A floral offering in honour of Humboldt in the Orchid Garden Sitio Litre.
All events are liable to change beyond our control.
Whether looking back once more at Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival 2019, or forward towards Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival 2020 - which takes place between Friday, 21st February 2020 and Sunday, 1st March 2020 - we can't resist another look at the candidates who aspired to become carnival queens in 2019.
The sculpture is made of patinated, cast bronze on an iron frame. The angel flying with outstretched wings, is said to represent the Dragon Rapide flight in which Francisco Franco left to initiate the military coup that would unleash the Spanish Civil War. On the back of the angel is a male figure representing Francisco Franco, holding a sword in the form of a Christian cross whose tip points downwards. The design resembles the Cerro de las Aguzaderas or Angel of Peace, a work Ávalos made two years earlier at Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real).
During 2010 the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife modified the name of the fountain to Monument to the Fallen Angel, although the work does not represent a fallen angel nor had it been considered as such previously. This generated the criticism of severalpolitical and social groups, who opine that the City Council resorted to this change of name to avoid the Ley de Memoria Histórica de España (Historical Memory Law). After the municipal elections of 2011, the new government eliminated the modification, calling it Monument to Victory and recognizing its Francoist origin and symbology.
The work is in a poor state of maintenance and looks as if the city council is letting the ravages of time, elements and vandalism erase it rather than arranging it's demolition.
Monumento a la Victoria
All events are liable to change beyond our control.
Carnival Queen Costume 'Tajaraste' from 1987, currently on display in the Casa del Carnaval
Carnival Poster 1987
Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1987 was a moment of crucial importance in the island's and the celebration's history for a variety of reasons.
It was the first year that the carnival festivities had a theme, which in 1987 was Roma (Rome), for which the perimeter of the Plaza de España was encircled by a colonnade, joined two by two, evoking the Ionic style and giving it the appearance of a circular Roman temple. The lintel of each pair of columns was adorned with two chicharros (Atlantic horse mackerels) crowned with laurels.
Most of all, 1987 was the year that the carnival made history by getting into the Guinness Book of Records, with the dance on Shrove Tuesday becoming the largest gathering of people in an outdoor plaza to attend a concert.
Mónica Estévez was interviewed 31 years later in 2018 and said that she had grown up in the next street from where designer Leo Martínez was located, surrounded with carnival from a young age. She would go there to see the girls and the costumes and was always saying she wanted to present herself as a candidate ... repeatedly.
It seems that Martínez agreed to present her, pretty much just to shut her up. She didn't ask anything about the costume and never saw it complete until three days before the gala.
Santa Cruz Carnival Dance 1987
The multitudinous dance that went down in history with Celia Cruz
On March 3 1987, the dance on Carnival Tuesday put Santa Cruz de Tenerife into the Guinness Book of Records after gathering the astonishing number of people (240,000 was the number officially recorded by the notarial deed) dancing in the street to the songs of Celia Cruz with Sonora Matancera, Billo's Caracas Boys and Tenerife orchestras Maracaibo and Guayaba, in a show never before seen on the islands with 40,000 watts of sound and spectacular lighting.
On the night of Monday to Tuesday of Carnival the last orchestra left the stage at 06.30 hours, but the audience, almost as numerous as at 11.00 at night, continued to dance to recorded music in the kiosks. Many partied on in various parts of the capital and others went to Las Teresitas to take a dip in the sea.
Neither the strong heat nor the fatigue of the previous night prevented 200,000 people from concentrating to watch the cavalcade that began at 3:30 pm on the Tuesday afternoon. The number of spectators, facilitated by the Local Police, was significant, since the population census of the city at that time was 210,000 inhabitants. Some 25,000 people participated in the parade, in addition to 119 groups, 20 floats and more than 100 decorated cars.
The fireworks display finale was the prologue of the great dance. The City Council's intention was that this dance be the busiest in the world and with the Celia-Billo's duo, success was assured. Almost half the island of Tenerife met in Santa Cruz that Carnival Tuesday to experience an environment impossible to describe. The Plaza de España and Candelaria, the Alameda del Duque de Santa Elena, and all the surrounding streets, were full to bursting.
Celia Cruz in Tenerife in 1987
Celia Cruz was already a living legend when she came to Tenerife
Her powerful voice opened the doors to the whole world with songs like Bemba colorá, Usted abuso, Nadie se salva de la rumba, Que le den candela, La vida es un carnaval… Until her death in 2003, Celia was the best ambassador of Tenerife's carnival. Her connection with the island became so strong that she confessed that she calmed her longing for Cuba among the islanders, and performed in a trance-like state, as if she had returned to dance and sing in her native island.
Celia passed like a whirlwind through Tenerife. She arrived on the island on February 27 and the Cuban Association of the Island was waiting for her at the South airport. Staying at the Hotel Botánico, Celia and her inseparablePedro Knight, enjoyed the parade on Friday from the Town Hall, receiving the love and recognition of the carnival groups that noticed her presence. Thousands of people gave her a standing ovation at the two previous concerts held in the Plaza de Toros (Santa Cruz Bullring), and she continued in ecstasy singing Bemba colorá for 20 minutes. That double success attracted more anticipation for the performance of Carnival Tuesday. The queen of salsa continued in a trance and dedicated to the audience the Pasodoble Islas Canarias a cappella in one of the most memorable moments of an unbeatable[1] Carnival.
The Festival de las Artes del Movimiento (FAM) (Tenerife International Moving Arts Festival) is taking place from 5 to 9 June 2019, with many of the varied events taking place at the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz. Details in English at the preceding link.
Fenáutica Nautical Fair
The fifth edition of Fenáutica will open its doors this weekend at the Marina del Sur in Las Galletas to offer the most ambitious program in its history. On 8th and 9th of June, the only nautical fair in Tenerife will include more than 70 activities dedicated to the marine world, robotics, the environment, sports and leisure for all ages as well as 45 exhibitors dedicated to the nautical, local crafts and Canarian cuisine. The fair had 13,000 visitors in 2018. Access to the great sea festival of Tenerife is completely free.
Events include the Canary Islands Underwater Photo Championship and the seventh edition of the Guanche CUP Regatta. The main stage will also host musical performances during the weekend. On Saturday, from 7:30 pm, there will be a tribute to Queen and on Sunday it will be the turn of the group Los Vandals, at 2:00 pm.
Traditions: In the Plaza de San Sebastián in La Caleta, Adeje from 12 midday on Saturday 8 June 2019 the Asociación Cultural Imoque (Folklore Club) are organising their annual, traditional, Imoque Festival. The program includes a crafts fair and tasting of local products; workshops of Salto de Pastor (Shepherd's Leap), chácaras and Gomeran drumming, folklore from La Graciosa; development and maintenance of instruments; display of different breeds of native dogs, cattle; Canarian wrestling, tasting of black pig, tasting of cheese from the islands, among others. The festival is open to all audiences and in this sixth edition there will also be musical performances by the "Parranda Los Toledo", soloist "Ciro Corujo" and the Imoque Cultural Association.
La Laguna hosts its International Jazz Week with events on 6, 7 and 8 June. With 2019 being its seventh edition, this is consolidating itself as a date in the regional jazz calendar. Three days of programming featuring artists such as Jurandir Santana, Seamus Blake, Gabriela Suárez and Eliseo Lloreda, among others.
The Tenerife Artes Escénicas (Tenerife Performing Arts Festival) has 14 events taking place between 6 and 9 June in eight locations on the island; Candelaria, Granadilla de Abona, Guía de Isora, Güímar, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz and Santa Úrsula.
Saturday 8 June from 10 am in the centre of Granadilla de Abona are the Feria de Artesanía y Gastronomía Canaria (Crafts and Canarian Gastronomy Fair) along with a number of other events, including Canarian sports and running into DJs in the evening.
And on Sunday 9 June from 12:30 pm in the Plaza La Libertad in Garachico, the Tom Sawyer Jazz Band will perform classics of pop, soul and funk of yesterday and today.
Tenerife Bluetrail 2019
The Fred. Olsen Tenerife Bluetrail 2019, event organized by the Cabildo (Island Corporation) is being held on June 8. It's an unique ultra running high-altitude race across the island of Tenerife from the south to the north coast, the hard way.
Armed Forces Exhibition
Saturday, June 8, After the raising of the flag, in the Avenida Marítima de Santa Cruz de Tenerife at 09:00 hours, in the presence of the Military Commander of Tenerife and head of the 5th General Sub Inspection of the Canarian Army, Brigadier General José Antonio Jarne San Martín, there will be a military exhibition from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., in the Avenida Marítima de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
IV MOTOR CONCENTRATION
Sunday, June 9. I'm reading this as a classic car meet and there are some beautiful ones on the island. Departure at 10:00 am from the Plaza de los Alisios next to the Adán Martín Auditorium. Route: Santa Cruz - La Laguna - Tegueste - Tacoronte - El Sauzal - La Esperanza - Candelaria - Santa Cruz (Hoya Fría).
Access to all events and exhibitions is free.
This weekend on the rally calendar, held from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 June, is the 10th Guía de Isora Hillclimb. With more than 70 teams taking part this should prove exciting.
Whether looking back once more at Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival 2019, or forward towards Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival 2020 - which takes place between Friday, 21st February 2020 and Sunday, 1st March 2020 - we can't resist another look at the candidates who aspired to become carnival queens in 2019.
A recipe from the island of Tenerife, that as the name suggests is typical for fiestas.
Ingredients:
1½ kg of pork
100 gr of oregano
2 bay leaves
100 gr of thyme
6 or 7 cloves of garlic
1 clove
1 tablespoon of salt
4 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of paprika
Oil and vinegar
Method:
Chop the pork into cubes and place it in a bowl (porcelain, never aluminum). Mash the oregano, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, cloves, salt, black pepper and paprika in a mortar then mix with two parts of oil and one of vinegar (a quantity that will cover the meat). Pour the mixture over the pork, leaving it to marinade overnight (in a cool place or in the fridge).
The next day, fry the meat with the remains of the marinade.
All events are liable to change beyond our control.
This video shows Montaña de Taco (photo). This 1055ft (322m) volcanic dome appears to stand guard over the farming region of Buenavista. Its ancient crater has been converted into a reservoir to supply the banana plantations that cover the coastal plain of northwestern Tenerife. Banana plantations, which thrive on the fertile volcanic soil and subtropical climate, account for a third of the Canaries’ agricultural produce.
All events are liable to change beyond our control.
