Monday, March 02, 2009

Santa Cruz Carnaval 2009 Roundup

With Carnaval, in Santa Cruz at least, having ended (sniff) yesterday for 2009 (no doubt sequins will be being sewn on costumes and dances rehearsed shortly for 2010), we bring you a roundup from this year's events, mostly illustrated ...

Many many more photos here of Carnaval Queen, Ana María Tavarez Mata.

Carnaval kicked off with the Cabalgata Anunciadora (photos) on the evening of Friday, February 20th. Around 5,000 people participated and more than 70,000 packed the streets of Santa Cruz to see the multicolor display.

On Shrove Tuesday, February 24th, 5,000 people took part in the main parade of Carnaval in Santa Cruz, with an estimated 120,000 spectators lining the streets to see the parade that started shortly after 4 p.m. Here's a collection of magnificent photos of the Coso Apoteosis (Main Parade) 2009. Near the end of the parade are the Carnival Floats 2009, every one of them a work of art.

This 11 minute video of highlights from the main parade - Rudy y Ruymán who present it: two Tenerife lads who are "famous" for, er, I dunno, something to do with TV contests, seem REALLY keen on pointing the camera at themselves, but because of that, not despite it, they take you right into the parade at street level and that makes you feel like you're part of it rather than just watching.

On Wednesday, February 25th, Santa Cruz celebrated the traditional funeral for it's sardine, attended by thousands of "widows, nuns and curates". The paper-mâché and cardboard figure of the fish, a work carried out by Luis Eduardo Fierro, measured 5.5 meters long and 3 meters high. The note says that the town hall wanted to underline the fact that no plastic was used in the construction, to reduce the damage that burning it would cause to the ozone layer.

200,000 people (getting close to the quarter of a million at Tenerife Carnaval's Guinness World Record feat in 1987) turned up for the daytime carnaval concerts on Saturday, February 28th to see Craig David, amongst others.

More video: The Canarian Desynchronised Swimming Team! :)

Reports from the Carnaval Hospital ...

Say this year, at least 598 people (goodness knows why they didn't say "about 600") were attended at the Carnaval Hospital (the field hospital put up each year), which, when you consider that there were; 70,000 people attending the opening parade on Friday, February 20th; around 40,000 for the Dance Carnaval night on Monday, February 23rd; at least 120,000 for the main parade on Shrove Tuesday and as many as 200,000 on Saturday, 600 is a very small number.

And, no surprises here, the principal causes for "hospital admission" (more like needing first aid) were alcohol and drug intoxications in 293 of the cases.

During the daytime Carnaval de Día, only 20 people needed medical assistance, only one of those owing to alcohol. The number of people needing attention on the last night of carnaval, however, doubled this year from 66 in 2008 at 132 in 2009. Of those; 62 adults and 9 minors were drunk or high; 19 people fell over, 13 had common ailments and only 20 had anything to do with aggression. On any ordinary Saturday night in any British town, there would be many more!

It's tempting to be cynical and assume they're just not reporting the whole truth, but remember I've been amongst these celebrations enough times to know - and I've gone alone, a woman, at night and not felt under any threat.

As Islandmomma says, of the Santa Cruz Carnaval, "It is remarkable for its good nature and lack of crime. Of course, there is crime, but nothing like the level you might expect of that you hear of in other places." We hear that!

Operatives from the town hall collected 218 tons of rubbish in the first few days of the Carnaval - Santa Cruz would never cope with fortnightly collections!

Carnaval celebrations elsewhere in Tenerife ...

Jose Mesa shows us how they saw off the sardine in Güímar with La Burras (The Female Donkeys.)

This street theatre event was apparently started in 1992 to attract the crowds back to the Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) and draws upon traditions related to witchcraft and the belief that witches can transform themselves into donkeys to be able to carry out their spells. Of course.

As in all good witchcraft stories, the witches are eventually condemned to the bonfire - this time along with the unfortunate sardine - on the orders of the Bishop, who arrived with the Inquisition.

As Tenerife Matters say, "Sounds like a typical Friday night in Güímar then."

In Puerto de la Cruz, Going Native at Tenerife Carnaval means:

"When a giant sardine with long blond hair and fluttering false eyelashes starts bearing down on you it means one of two things - it's time to give up the alcohol, or it's the surreal Burial of the Sardine which is a major part of Carnaval across Tenerife."

If you missed any of this, I should start thinking about booking for next year.

Image titles: 1. Reina del Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2009, 2. Not available, 3. CABALGATA CARNAVAL SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 2009, 4. Not available, 5. Not available, 6. Not available, 7. DSC_0376, 8. DSC_0390_01, 9. DSC_0397_01, 10. Not available, 11. Not available, 12. Entre guiris, nativos y demás..., 13. Not available, 14. Fuegos Carnaval de Día Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2009, 15. _N014913, 16. Clásicos en el parque.