Your Tenerife Photos

Archives

• February 2004
• March 2004
• May 2004
• June 2004
• July 2004
• August 2004
• September 2004
• October 2004
• November 2004
• December 2004
• January 2005
• February 2005
• March 2005
• April 2005
• May 2005
• June 2005
• July 2005
• August 2005
• September 2005
• October 2005
• November 2005
• December 2005
• January 2006
• February 2006
• March 2006
• April 2006
• May 2006
• June 2006
• July 2006
• August 2006
• September 2006
• October 2006
• November 2006
• December 2006
• January 2007
• February 2007
• March 2007
• April 2007
• May 2007
• June 2007
• July 2007
• August 2007
• September 2007
• October 2007
• November 2007
• December 2007
• January 2008
• February 2008
• March 2008
• April 2008
• May 2008

After some pretty heavy rain, the wind dropped, the sun came out, the weather alert ended and, as was hoped, thankfully, the unusually strong winter storms this weekend mostly stayed north and passed Tenerife without incident. We did wonder, if there might be some snow on Teide, but recent photos and webcam images seem to discount it. The forecast is cloudy, with a chance of rain for Wednesday and Thursday in Tenerife, so lets not be too smug. :)

Meanwhile, this weekend, on Sunday, February 17th, both carnival parades on the south of the island, in Los Cristianos and Los Gigantes, were able to go ahead as planned, with plenty of blue sky and bare flesh in evidence:



Los Gigantes carnaval have a novel new website. It takes a while for it to load, but once it does, just click on any of the "polaroid snapshots" and it will pop up in larger size. Use forward and back arrows to flick through the pile.

TenerifeSur say that more than a 1,000 took part in Los Gigantes' main carnaval parade that was a show of rhythm and colour, from 5 p.m. Sunday. As with Los Cristianos, they were giving their sardine a sendoff on Monday night.

LosGigantes.com also have photos of Los Gigantes Carnival Queens 2008.

Vida de Sol en Tenerife sent an online postcard after the carnaval parade in Los Cristianos yesterday. More photos from Los Cristianos Carnaval

Meanwhile, for reports from Puerto de la Cruz Carnaval, you need go no further than husband an wife double-act, Jack and Andy (Andrea) Montgomery's blogs, where (currently) recent posts will tell you all about their carnaval capers.

La Opinión de Tenerife show us one tantalizing photo of the classic cars on the final Sunday morning of Santa Cruz Carnaval and another image here, showing the extent of the massive crowd in the Plaza de Candelaria during that day's Carnaval de Día (Daytime Carnaval) events, that were introduced as a novelty this year and that have been declared as being a total success.

There are a few images here too, but those who read Spanish may enjoy this article, Recuerdos históricos y tradicionales del Carnaval.

Barring any more photos, videos, etc., that we might find from now on, that really is it for Carnaval 2008 and for another year, although, there has already been a news item saying that Tenerife wants its own version of La Palmas Drag Queen Gala next year - or, at least something "specially dedicated to gays".

There's talk of it being a Rey del Carnaval (King of Carnaval).

Dates of Tenerife Carnaval 2009 and beyond ...

You would not be the first to ask, so here we go:

• Santa Cruz main parade on Shrove Tuesday, February 24th, 2009.

• The Burial of the Sardine on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

• The final weekend, therefore falling on February 28th, 2009, when Santa Cruz Carnaval ends, Puerto de la Cruz holds their main, closing parade and when the whole thing moves on to the south.

• The date of the Los Cristianos and Los Gigantes parades, should then be Sunday, March 8th, 2009.

We have the Tenerife Carnaval dates right through to 2025 here. Listen, I just translate 'em. Personally, I haven't a clue what I'm doing tomorrow! :)

(Always providing that the authorities don't alter the dates or that the weather doesn't, but we can't be held responsible for these outside issues.)

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (2) Comments | Post a Comment

Another video from yesterday's Carnaval de Día (Daytime Carnaval) initiative for the final weekend of carnaval in Santa Cruz. It starts with what they're calling a gran batucada. If you've ever given a toddler a toy drum you'll know exactly what this means, incessant drumming, only this time produced by whole groups of adults, rhythmically. It's make as much noise as possible time. :)

But, as if that wasn't enough for you, this is followed by the incredibly noisy - imagine how it must have sounded was live - fireworks-by-day spectacle coming from the Plaza de España, provided by Los Realejos' firm Hermanos Toste.

These noise fireworks are famous in Valencia and the custom there was unlike any other, where they're called mascletas (bang fests). Michael Palin, in his Hemingway Adventure (video), calls them "a celebration of noise", a competition to make "a bigger, more beautiful din" and "the world eardrum splitting finals."

Given all the fuss made about carnaval's noise in Santa Cruz it is the absolute height of irony (maybe sarcasm) to introduce this 120dB+ spectacle here.

In Tenerife, they are calling this firework finger gesture a "gran traca."

And I just love the typical, total anarchy of it. :-)

Whoever planned this day's events and the order of service should be wholly congratulated. I think they may be guilty of a wee bit of deliberate manipulation, but they clearly knew exactly what emotion they wanted to provoke in the crowd, as it builds from the drumming, into the firework frenzy ...

Bang Billos Caracas Boys launch into a classic, "Santa Cruz en Carnaval".

That song (which is also used as the backing for this video that tells of Santa Cruz Carnaval's history), has become a genuine carnaval hymn.

What I hadn't realized before, is that Billos Caracas Boys appeared with the late, great Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa, now Immortal Goddess, at Santa Cruz Carnaval's Greatest Ever Moment in History: the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a dance; 250,000 people a record, says TVCanaria's commentator in this video that may have been broken yesterday.

That sure is a LOT of Santa Cruz Carnaval loving emotion!


Oh, as ABC remind us, today starts the countdown to Carnaval de 2009!

Yes, and if you want the dates, so you can book your holiday to Tenerife to coincide, I can tell you that in Santa Cruz, carnaval will run from February 15th to March 1st, 2009. Dates through to 2025, you can find here.

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (3) Comments | Post a Comment

Told ya carnaval wasn't finished yet. It just disperses around the island to other towns and, especially to the south, where Arona (Playa de Las Américas - Los Cristianos) holds the next biggest Carnaval del Sur or Carnaval de Los Cristianos 2008, which started on Sunday night (Feb 10th) with the presentation of the candidates for their Carnaval Queen, at the Cultural Center.

It runs through to February 18th and the main events are as follows:


A young genie in a lamp wins a first prize at a previous Los Gigantes carnaval in the south of Tenerife.Los Cristianos Carnaval 2008

Cabalgata Anunciadora (Opening Parade)
Wednesday, February 13th at 17:30
Playa de Las Américas - Los Cristianos

Gala de elección de la Reina Infantil del Carnaval (Election of Junior Queen)
Thursday, February 14th at 20:30
Recinto Ferial (Fairs Enclosure) - Los Cristianos

Baile de Carnaval de la 3º edad (Old Folks Carnaval Ball)
Friday, February 15th at 20:30
Centro Cultural (Cultural Center) - Los Cristianos

Gran Gala de elección de la Reina del Carnaval de arona 2008 (Gala Election of Carnaval Queen)
Friday, February 15th at 21:00
Recinto Ferial (Fairs Enclosure) - Los Cristianos

Baile de Carnaval (Carnaval Ball)
Friday, February 15th at 23:00
Recinto Ferial (Fairs Enclosure) - Los Cristianos
With the salsa orchestra, "Sensación Gomera".

Baile de Carnaval (Carnaval Ball)
Saturday, February 16th at 23:00
Recinto Ferial (Fairs Enclosure) - Los Cristianos
With the salsa orchestras, "Fortaleza and Sensación Gomera".

Coso Apoteósico del Carnaval de Arona 2008 (Main Parade)
Sunday, February 17th at 17:00
Through the streets of Los Cristianos
At the end of the parade, Baile de Carnaval (Carnaval Ball) - With the salsa orchestras: "Wamampy" and "Sensación Gomera" in the Recinto Ferial (Fairs Enclosure).



Eldigitalsur.com bring us this video, which is a compilation of photos from previous years to give you an idea of what to expect from Los Cristianos' forthcoming carnaval parade.

Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine)
Monday, February 18th at 20:00
From the Cultural Center to Los Cristianos beach

Baile de Viudas del Carnaval (Widow's Ball)
Monday, February 18th at 23:00
Recinto Ferial (Fairs Enclosure) - Los Cristianos
With the salsa orchestra, "Wamampy".

Information from Canarynet.com

In addition there's the fun fair, fireworks, stalls and lots of yummy street food.

Elsewhere, there's even more carnaval action for all the family with ...

Los Gigantes Carnival 2008

... Reputedly runs from 14th - 18th February. Here you will find details (when available), plus information and photos from their carnaval in past years.

Buenavista de Norte won't have a kids carnaval parade like it did last year, but Saturday, February 16th, is the famous Entierro de la Sardina Buenavista

But the only information I found about carnaval in Garachico, is from this blog from a teacher at a local school. If you want to make your own máscara de bruja (witch mask), this post has it step-by-step in photos. It's delightfully Blue Peter!

Carnaval Crawl: There are also carnival events still to come in Candelaria, Güimar, Tacoronte, Guía de Isora, La Guancha and San Miguel de Abona.

And, as soon as this lot is over, it will be almost Easter: time for Semana Santa parades. Then we'll be running towards Corpus Christi and, on the very weekend after that, is the first major Romeria of the summer fiesta season ... that runs almost up to Christmas, that in turn, is followed by the next Carnaval.

Let me know when you poop out and need a rest, won't you? :-)

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

This six minute video brings you a compilation of stunning, professional photos from Natale Arte Fotográfico (Via: Edelmiro at Al Norte del Sur) from Santa Cruz de Tenerife's main carnaval parade on Shrove Tuesday.

Musical backing is this year's official carnaval tune, Orishas' Hip Hop Conga, followed by Celia Cruz' La Vida es un Carnaval (Life is a Carnaval).

You can join in too: here's the Karaoke version of the latter! :)

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (1) Comments | Post a Comment

You'll need a wig! Anticipating the next party, these were on sale at the last fiestas in Buenavista.There was an excellent article by Byron Evans in the Manchester Evening News last week, entitled Dancing in the streets of Tenerife, about carnaval, rightly noting its South American influences (and highlighting the vast difference between the north of the island and the "egg and chip" south.)

Evans congers up the whole carnaval atmosphere perfectly:

"Proud smiles lit up the faces of the hordes of onlookers. There were no barriers between participants and spectators. Security and police kept a low profile.

This was all about feeling part of the procession, enhancing the thrilling atmosphere. The sight of children, grannies, teenagers, mums and dads all going nuts together was totally infectious."

Video: Dancing in the street at Carnaval Tenerife 2008. Then there's Carnaval en la calle and these Carnaval 2008 Carrozas (mobile disco buses) will, together, give you just a taste of the atmosphere of carnaval in the streets.

Revealing how well-behaved it is too, is news that by Friday, Santa Cruz' carnaval "campaign" hospital had treated just 366 people.

Even after the end of the final, frenzied weekend, this the total had only risen to 479 patients, down from 552 last year, during the 10 days of carnaval in the street. Almost half of them (233), were treated for "intoxication" and a further 71 for "falling down in the public street" (presumably drunk) :-)

Another 52 were treated for "common ailments", 32 for "other reasons" and amazingly, only 18 for "intoxications by stupefying substances" (drugs).

And, in the absence of any other news reports, I think it's probably fairly safe to assume that the 69 "aggressions" were mostly minor skirmishes and much less trouble than you'd see in the average city center on a Saturday night.

This relative peacefulness, I attribute precisely to the low key police presence.

Curfews and prohibitions - that require a large police presence to enforce - lead to just the sort of tensions between party-goers and the authorities that have been known to end in riots in the British capital, but that so far, have been avoided in Tenerife, despite the large numbers who attend each year.

Likewise, Sarah Adams in Dress up and shake on down!, says:

"Tenerifans like to claim that Rio is about the samba schools, Venice is about culture and Santa Cruz is about the people."

That's about how I see it too. Carnaval in Tenerife is accessible to all, it's geared up for participation; a carnaval "by the people, for the people".

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

Un vistazo a Santa Cruz de Tenerife have declared that Sunday's postponed Carnaval de Día (Daytime Carnaval) initiative for the closing weekend of carnaval Santa Cruz was a success with, according to the authorities, around 70,000 people in the streets for the various free concerts in the Plaza de Candelaria, Plaza Weyler, Calle La Noria, Plaza del Príncipe and Plaza de Europa.

This video is of Orishas performing to a capacity crowd at the Plaza Weyler and here's another featuring Edwin Rivera in a very packed Plaza de Candelaria.

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

Sod's Law always brings some rain or bad weather, at least once while carnaval is on in the Canary Islands and this year has been no exception, which explains why the sky is washed out and the colours a bit hazy in these photos.


Carnaval goers wouldn't go hungry with stalls selling food in the Plaza de Charco.But all of the events and concerts planned in Santa Cruz yesterday, got postponed because of the rains (well, actually a multiple-choice, smorgasbord of strange weather phenomena), with hot calima coming in from the east and cold air from the west, so it was no wonder it collided in the middle and created a huge storm. And boy, that was some storm we had in the early hours of Saturday too!

Even La Palma got snow!


No costume, no problem! You'd have be as mad as a hatter to pay the "last minute" prices tho!As Leslie says, "Clouds creeping over Mt Teide & Las Canadas from a Southerly direction is not a good sign." Normal weather it was not!

Here at "Secret Tenerife Towers," we were woken at 5.30 a.m. when lightening struck an electrical pylon, not 25 meters from the house with a noise like a huge explosion!

So, after 9 hours without power; cold, damp, no hot food, no decent coffee, we decided to go out.

After a call down to Puerto de la Cruz to get the advance weather report, we left to go see some of their closing carnaval parade.

Like everything here, the Gran Coso Apoteosis del Puerto de la Cruz was listed as starting at 4 p.m., but the reality was that it started at 5 p.m. at the "wrong" end of town for those of us who needed to dash back to the bus station to catch our last bus home at 6 p.m.

This reduced the couple of hours we thought we had to a mere 5 minutes of the parade and meant we didn't see a lot, but we do have some photos for you:

Coso Puerto de la Cruz 2008

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

Yesterday's events in Santa Cruz were postponed because of bad weather and were to be held today (all same time, same place) instead, meanwhile amongst the regular events already scheduled for the final day of Santa Cruz Carnaval was the XXXVII Gran Concurso en la Ciudad de Automóviles Antiguos.

Classic car fanatics would have found many of these beautiful old vehicles in the streets around the old quarter of Plaza de la Iglesia and Calle La Noria from about 10 a.m. on Sunday, with a circuit of city streets at about midday.

If we could go back to those days ... when private cars were so "scarce" that drivers would wave at any other "motorist" they encountered and not the sardine-packed 690 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants we have today.

One of the main events of carnaval in La Orotava, in the north of Tenerife, was their XXXVI Rally de Coches Antiguos (36th Classic Car Rally).

As well as the old cars and various other events during the day, there is also the Gran Fin de Fiesta del Carnaval 2008 (end of carnaval party) from around 5 p.m. in the Círculo de Amistad XII de Enero, which I think draws the senior citizens.

But don't be fooled by the "last day" business: carnaval is not yet over, because it now moves off round the island to other locations next week!

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

Miss Piggy stops to gets a light during the kids' carnaval parade in Santa Cruz (early 1990s)Santa Cruz hopes to recuperate the Carnaval de Día (Daytime Carnaval), with a number of events to take place today, Sábado de Piñata (Piñata Saturday).

From midday, five areas of the capital (Plaza Weyler, Plaza de Candelaria, Calle de La Noria, Plaza de Europa and Plaza del Príncipe) will be staging various concerts, featuring; Orishas and Idaira, Edwin Rivera and Billos Caracas Boys, Pepe Benavente and Orquesta Gomeray; Village Boyz and Enrique Furiati among others.

This is all being promoted as a family day, though it might be to encourage noise during the day instead of at night. :)

It certainly isn't going to stop the noise inside the city with all those concerts going on and with the planned "bombazos" (a sort of 12 mega-firework salute) that will almost literally blast off the day.

Later, at 2 p.m. there is to be a "sound spectacle" with more daytime fireworks being set off in the Plaza de España.

Also advertised are "rains of colour" from six confetti canons to be installed in the Plaza de La Candelaria, Plaza de Europa and Plaza del Príncipe.

And entrance to all of these shows and concerts is free.

The final Saturday of carnaval is also traditionally the day of the children's carnaval parade, which, this year is listed as being on between 6 and 7 p.m.


(Above) A float, perhaps the junior queen, at the kids' carnaval parade in Santa Cruz (early 1990s)

(Top left) Strangely KKK looking costumes from the kids' carnaval parade in Santa Cruz (early 1990s)

(Left) Elephants never ... Forget prancing down the main streets of Santa Cruz (early 1990s)






The bad news is that the weather prediction for this weekend in Tenerife (for Friday and Saturday, at least), is for chubascos fuertes (heavy showers).

Gran fiesta para toda la familia el Sábado de Piñata

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

Can we imagine a family night out solely about witnessing displays of blasphemy and hardcore porn?

Anything you heard about Carnaval in Tenerife, so far, that you thought was maybe surreal, a bit OTT, downright rude, utterly crazy ... will be rendered tame today, Ash Wednesday.

Lent ("Christian Ramadan") begins and, tonight there's a "funeral" taking place, the Entierro de la Sardina to lament the death of the fiestas. The significance of the sardine is that it represents the return from the anarchy and craziness of carnaval, back to the everyday order.

Apart from the final weekend to come, referred to as the piñata, carnaval is beginning to end, officially, in Santa Cruz for another year.

Although the event is called a burial (entierro means putting in the earth, literally), it would be more properly called a cremation, but that seems like an unnecessary and pedantic distinction, given the circumstances.

The video above, of the Entierro de la Sardina in 2007, shows the final moments, in the Calle La Noria, when the sardine effigy was burnt last year - that is after the funeral procession (and mucho alcohol had been consumed). Also symbolically, Guy Fawkes stylee, an effigy of the lawyer who represented the Neighbours' Association in their complaint about the noise was cremated.

(OK, so maybe 155 dB - louder than a jet engine roaring 100 feet from your ears - was a bit much for midnight, but their protests fell on deaf ears. :)

Nobody was going to be allowed to do away with more than 200 years of the "institution" of carnaval in the streets of Tenerife's capital.

If you go to the page about the Entierro de la Sardina at the carnaval's official site, click on the image there, because it will open up a whole gallery of excellent images of the sardine, the procession, plus all the accompanying widows and clergy.

Still, the best description of this whole surreal and blasphemous closing parade is Julie Burchill's article, Carnaval Queen.


A couple of widows at Santa Cruz' Burial of the Sardine in 2007.
Photo: kasia kazmierskaShe asks, "Can we imagine a family night out solely about witnessing displays of blasphemy and hardcore porn?"

The sardine's "widows", most are blokes in drag , dressed tartilly (they're going on the game) in black , wailing inconsolably at their loss. Others dress as popes, priests, pregnant nuns, "many of them carrying huge dildos with which they blessed the crowd", says Burchill.

She continues, "On the night the sardine is laid to rest, you realise how irretrievably the Catholic church's backing of Fascism during the second world war has damaged its reputation in its heartland. I knew that the Catholic countries of southern Europe now boast the lowest birth-rates in the world, but I never realised how complete their contempt for their religion is until I saw the burial."

La Laguna Ahora published an article today which explains that during the "Fiestas de Invierno" (Winter Festival), the name that carnaval had to go under during Franco's dictatorship, they used to have to mess with the calendar to make sure that the sardine - which, of course, was "prohibited" anyway - didn't coincide with Ash Wednesday. Once liberties were regained, the event was restored with enthusiasm. They have wonderful old sepia photos of the epoch.

The official site lists the event as running from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., starting from the Plaza de la Paz and ending in the Plaza de Europa. As with everything else, there will be fireworks to finish, just before the all-night revelries start.

More images of the Entierro de la Sardina at Carnaval 2007

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

The program for Tenerife Carnaval, says the parade kicks off from around 4 p.m. this afternoon in the Avenidas de Anaga y Marítima (map) along the sea front in Santa Cruz, culminating in a huge fireworks display (around 9 - 9.30 p.m.)



This video shows a montage of photos from the main Coso or carnaval parade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2007 and here's a half hour film from that same Coso Apoteósico (Finale in the main streets), which last year drew a crowd of 110,000. Today is a holiday in the city of Santa Cruz, but as people come from all around the island (and world), numbers in the evening will swell to "and the rest."


Friday night's carnaval parade only announced that carnaval was ready (once all the contests had been held, the queen chosen, etc.) Today's is the Grand Finale.
Photo: pano_philouSo while Pancake Day may be at risk of dying out in the UK, I don't see evidence of carnaval losing its popularity, especially attendance at the main parade on Shrove Tuesday, or Carnaval Tuesday.

As is traditional, the parade will be headed by the Afilarmónica Ni Fú-Ni Fá , followed by 26 floats - which will include all 17 of the candidates for carnaval queen, not just the queen and her attendants - plus all the various dancing and singing troupes; comparsas, murgas, rondallas, etc.

There are also the familiar characters at carnaval such as; Charlie Chaplin, Fidel Castro, Kermit and Miss Piggy and even a touch of Elton John and Queen Marie-Antoinette - not to mention the hundreds that defy identification!


Bright colors in 2007's Coso.
Photo: pano_philouThese figures have become such local "institutions" (Santiago Díaz has been Harpo Marx since 1969, Francisco Arvelo became Michael Jackson in 1992), that there was an outpouring of public concern when Tenerife's Fidel Castro (real name, Antonio Meseguer) was stabbed during the 2006 Carnaval. Fortunately, he recovered from his injuries. The perp, however, Juan Francisco P.S. was condemned to 14 years in prison for attempted murder.

The following article, Por siempre y jamás del Carnaval (in Spanish) talks about these carnaval personalities and how they've become flagships of the fiestas.

Later on the 150 kilos or so of explosives, around 500 fireworks, will be provided by Los Realejos firm, Hermanos Toste and, of course, there's the funfair, the various bands for dancing in the streets until the next morning ...

The other thing I need to point out to those not familiar with the whole carnaval culture is that, though this parade is the carnaval's finale (because today is Shrove Tuesday and therefore carnaval "ends", because tomorrow is lent), there is the "funeral" (The Burial of the Sardine) tomorrow, Ash Wednesday and, even then the party continues in Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz through to the weekend, later moving on to other towns on the island.

Among traditional eats at carnaval time here (apart from perros calientes (hot dogs) and the mountains of other food at street stalls) are Rebandas de Carnaval or these Sopas de miel (literally honey soup, but which aren't soup at all.)

It's a chilly 54 °F / 12 °C in the north of Tenerife this morning, with some ominous scattered clouds. There nearly always are for carnaval day, but it'll warm up and there are no serious weather systems about, as far as I know.

Getting there and back: the bus company, TITSA, have as always, put on extra buses. This news item lists many of the numbers affected. For visitors coming from the south of the island, the bus number 111 from Las Americas to Santa Cruz is the most useful as the extra ones will run through the night and become virtually carnaval coaches and an extension of the party. Who needs Rio?

The Coso Apoteosis del Carnaval parade is being televised live by TVCanaria from 4 .p.m. this afternoon. It can also be seen on the Spanish mainland (at 5 p.m. there) on Digital+ (dial 96), in Europe via Astra or Hispasat satellites and, in America via TVCanaria's International Channel (from 11 a.m. EST).

More images of Carnaval de Santa Cruz 2007, Carnaval 2007 in Tenerife, gallery of photos, Carnaval 2007, more Carnaval 2007, Carnaval 2007

Le Carnaval de Tenerife (en Français)

Carnaval numbers keep increasing ...

Some 60,000 people - 10,000 more than last year - attended yesterday's parody fiesta of Los Indianos in La Palma, according to local police, report ABC.

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

It's the turn of Santa Cruz de La Palma, the capital of our neighbouring island, to provide the curious custom of the day in the province.

The video above, found via the folks at Un vistazo a Santa Cruz de Tenerife (more images ), is a promotional video for the Los Indianos fiesta that happens in Santa Cruz de La Palma every year on Carnaval Monday. Even if you don't understand, there's some lovely footage of the beautiful town - before it becomes besieged by thousands of battlers with baby powder.

The fiesta of Los Indianos, in which everyone (about 50,000 people last year) dresses in white - men preferably in the guayaberas (a.k.a. Beach wedding shirts) traditionally associated with Cuba and, also often carrying their luggage - better yet if it is typical of the period; leather suitcases and trunks , maybe filled with Monopoly money, started off to poke fun at the emigrants returning from Cuba (At the start of the 20th Century, around 7 ships a month left La Palma for La Habana (Havana.), who, having "made their fortune" arrived back home in La Palma ostentatiously showing off their wealth and finery.

These fiestas, to the rhythm of Son Cubano, also enact a talcum powder battle in the city's streets. First mentioned in writing in 1867, by José Viera y Clavijo as "los polvos" (the powders), though the tradition itself is older than that.

Award winning travel writer and author of More Ketchup than Salsa, Joe Cawley enlisted to serve in the talcum war one year and survived, battle warn - if smelling of roses and possibly being "as smooth as a baby's derriere" can be called that - to tell the tale of the Battle in a bottle.

Sheila Crosby, who says, "When I lived in Santa Cruz, you could follow the progress of the parade by the cloud of talc drifting above the four-storey buildings on the route, " has photos of Los Indianos, 2007 here and, if we're really fortunate, perhaps she may post a report later at her new blog about the island of la Palma, A small rock in the Atlantic.

The talcum powder - about 5,000 kilograms of the stuff was given out by the town hall this year - harks back to an age old custom of throwing eggs (the white and yolk having been previously removed) refilled with talc (or flour) and confetti at the masked carnaval goers from the windows and balconies.

Just don't go asking me why this age-old custom exists.

Officially, these fiestas started at about noon or before - it was on TV most of the afternoon - and the parade carries on throughout the evening and on well into the night. The talcum powder stays around for weeks, apparently! :)

More photos: Indianos Santa Cruz La Palma 2007 .

More in Spanish: La Palma: La capital se viste de blanco con el desfile de Los Indianos, Los Indianos de la Palma , Los Indianos de la Palma , Más de 50.000 indianos toman La Palma , Indianos en la Wikipedia.

If you think throats will be rather dry in all that talcum powder, don't worry, there'll probably be the odd mojito - traditional Cuban cocktail made from rum, citrus and mint - to refresh the revellers. :)

Cuban Mojito recipe

The original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

Source: Taste of Cuba.

The word mojito is derived from the diminutive of the word mojo, which is a Canarian word for the sauce that originated in the Canary Islands.

The word and the sauce were introduced into Cuba and the Caribbean, due to heavy Canarian emigration. The recipe is for the authentic mojito much favored by Ernest Hemmingway (and rediscovered by Michael Palin in his Hemmingway Adventure), direct from the coctail's birthplace, the La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. Those of you who don't have time to mix coctails or go all the way to Havana can also find La Bodeguita del Medio in an alleyway off Kensington High Street in London or try the trendy restaurant and pub, Mojos y Mojitos, in the old quarter of Calle de La Noria, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

Image © Javier Salmones Downloaded at: SkinBase. More Carnaval images ...

Bearly there costumes, Amy Winehouse eye make-up, whatever else it is, Carnaval was never intended to be a sober and tasteful celebration, was it?

That's probably why we love it so much and Franco didn't.



Un vistazo a Santa Cruz de Tenerife (A look at Santa Cruz, Tenerife) blog posted this video of carnaval dance band, Billos Caracas Boys, the orchestra formed by Billo Frómeta (1915 - 1988). It probably won't be nostalgia to you, unless you remember the "good old days" depicted, but musically, you'll hear where just about every local fiesta band on these islands got it's influence.

Amongst the collage of images shown is the front page of local newspaper, Diario de Avisos, from when Santa Cruz carnaval made the Guinness World Records in 1987 for the highest number of people attending a dance: 250,000 people danced to the legendary Celia Cruz at the carnival ball that year.

Oh yes, and Ángel Llanos announced the recuperation of Billo's Caracas Boys for the Carnaval 2008. Remember though, this is the same guy who told us that Elton John was coming to Santa Cruz, in November. :)

(More video: Celia Cruz - La Vida Es Un Carnaval)

More Tenerife Carnaval 2008 Images


Photo: vituh2001Un vistazo posted the video while waiting for Friday night's cabalgata anunciadora (the cavalcade that announces / brings carnaval to the streets). Canarias24horas have a nice set of photos from the parade here and Alex Veccia has an absolutely fantastic set of images from the Gala Carnaval Queen Santa Cruz 2008 held last Wednesday.

Two more images of this year's Carnaval Queen, The Golden Age, here and here. Both of those open up as much larger images if you click on them and I recommend you do to see some of the details on the costume.

Monsters and Critics don't beat about the bush: they say, "Sophia Loren's real breasts at age 73 beat starlets' big fake ones" and offer comparisons. I think they presented their case well. :)

This delightful image should provide the final proof though.

Why Fashion blog has more photos here of Santa Cruz' carnaval queen from the gala and another picture of actor Gérard Depardieu taking a great interest in Sophia Loren's decolletage.

Depardieu to put Canarian Wines on the table in Paris

Canarias7 also report that recognized gourmet, Gérard Depardieu (yes, the same actor and connoisseur of cleavages), spent quite some time tasting wines on the island while he was here for the carnaval gala too. Depardieu, who owns 150 hectares of vineyards around the world himself, bought wines to include in the menus of his two restaurants in the center of Paris. (Nothing like taking coals to Newcastle, eh?) Apparently, he also ordered a sample of the islands' traditional potatoes for his own consumption and for his establishments.

So while Gérard dishes the dinner and wines and cheeses of the island of La Gomera are to be sold around Europe too, Sheila in La Palma has started a new blog about that small rock in the Atlantic, explaining where it is and with the cutest Flintstone-powered bus from the local school carnaval procession.

More Carnaval Costume Pulling Championships

Jack had a sudden yearning for blancmange, while watching ample contestants as they sorted the logistics of fitting many small van sized chariots-come-costumes onto a stage clearly not designed for the task at Friday night's gala to choose the Carnaval Queen in Puerto de la Cruz. This article did mention that the costumes in Santa Cruz weigh up to 200 kilos. That, I work out to be 441 pounds or 31.5 stone, which is like dragging a couple of Sumo wrestlers around.

Frank, a Gran Canario living in the USA said here that the junior carnaval queen contest had turned into more like a moving version of Macy's Christmas window display! Canarias Bruta called it the "Campeonato infantil de arrastre de chatarra 2008" (Junior junk pulling championships 2008), basically. :)

If you've seen The Count of Monte Cristo, you'll know that chatarra (the nickname given to Edmond Dantes by the pirate captain, Luigi Vampa) means driftwood. It also means scrap metal, junk and the breaker's yard where you take old cars to die ... Arrastre - weight pulling - is also what oxen do.

Jack may not be prepared with a costume, but the local authorities are with 7,000 free condoms to hand out during the town's fiestas. You don't want to end up in this woman's situation. Nor these two British nationals caught with 2,000 ecstasy tablets that police say they planned to sell at Carnaval.

This will all be repeated ...

While all this pure annual frivolity is going on (and elsewhere people were watching - or eating - a Groundhog who predicts six more weeks of winter), Vida de Sol en Tenerife (who also cover carnaval 2008 in the various towns of Tenerife in French) remind us (in French, with international photos) that February 2nd was also Candlemas and the fiesta to celebrate the Virgin de Candelaria, the patron of the Canary Islands, in Candelaria, Tenerife.

Then there's also Carnevale in Madrid too. Beautiful pics.

But even after all that, my favorite headline of the week was IUC acusa a Zerolo de "practicar el marxismo de Groucho Marx" - the Izquierda Unida Canaria (Canarian United Left, a communist political party), accused Santa Cruz' mayor, Miguel Zerolo of "practicing the marxism of Groucho Marx". :)

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (3) Comments | Post a Comment

Video: Santa Cruz crowns it's Carnaval Queen 2008 and 4 "Dames of Honour", in reverse order.

If the Gala to select the Carnaval Queen in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, last year was "Amargo" (bitter), then this year's was surreal and, I'm not just talking about one of the candidates costumes, which included one of Salvador Dali's "melting" clocks and a picture of the mustachio'd artist on the flounce of her dress. Actually, that was my favourite, but I was surprised she got nowhere.

The televised gala in general was school end of term concert quality and there were the endless performances by all the carnaval groups and dancers. But, that's exactly what carnaval is all about, so it was good, despite all the technical hitches. They just added to the entertainment. The worst of those hiccups might have been that there was no sound to her mike all through Xiomara Laugart's first number, but it was surpassed because the sound did work through her second one.

The Orishas were good, even if they were miming (as you'd expect.)

The surreal part for me was seeing such an ostensibly English design, chosen by a panel of mostly Spanish judges - of course - that also included, French actor, Gérard Depardieu and Italian actress, Sophia Loren.

Well, I guess that's globalization for you! :)

It was reported that Loren said she would "probably" dress up in costume for carnaval. If she did yesterday, she came disguised as actress, Sophia Loren.

And the winner is ... Nauzet Celeste Cruz Melo in a Santi Castro designed costume entitled, "La Edad de Oro" (The Golden Age), representing the (French owned) supermarket chain, Carrefour. When she came out onto the stage originally, she was introduced as Queen Elizabeth I (you know, of England) and the music that was played while she paraded was "Rule Britannia".

Maybe Tenerife claimed Britannia 'coz Britain is taking her off the coins?

Anyway, you certainly can't accuse the Spanish of being bad losers, endorsing Queen Elizabeth I and Rule Britannia, given the history of the Armada! Nor indeed of any remaining animosity over the part she played in local history.

Elizabeth I is known to have backed English pirate, John Hawkins, who was slave trading partner of Pedro de Ponte (son of the man who paid for the conquest of Tenerife). Hawkins once lived in Ponte's house in Tenerife, in Adeje. The key may be that last night's "Queen Elizabeth I" is from next door in Arona.

The upshot, ladies and gentlemen, is what Nelson failed to do by force (and a few others before him), it seems we've finally managed to do with a Carnaval Queen (if only for a year) and, perhaps more surprisingly, we've achieved this Révolution surréaliste with French, Italian and Spanish help.

Britannia Rules the island of Tenerife! :-)


Canarias7 tell it (in Spanish) Magia y glamour en el Carnaval de Tenerife dejan atrás el trago 'amargo' de 2007, with the press photos here, here and here.

The Golden Age wins the 2008 Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife carnival recovers glamour after last year's deception

PS: Harry Potter and David Copperfield were magically made to disappear. That is, they were conspicuous by their complete absence at the gala and turned out to be mere Tenerife myth and rumour, as we'd suspected in the end.

PPS: That's all the contests done now, so today everyone gets a "day off" from partying. :) Tomorrow night, the Carnaval Party takes to the streets. The big parade in Santa Cruz is on Tuesday. More Carnaval news in due course.

Labels: Carnaval 2008

| Permalink | (0) Comments | Post a Comment

The other bit of big news this week is that Carnaval organizers in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz - the theme this year is magic - have done some real magic and pulled a couple last minute, prestigious "rabbits out of the hat."

Negotiations were finalized late on Tuesday, report ABC and EFE, via sources at Santa Cruz town hall, with Italian actress, Sophia Loren and French actor Gérard Depardieu for both stars to be part of the jury to decide on the Carnaval Queen 2008, in the Grand Gala to be televised next Wednesday, January 30th from the city's César Manrique Maritime Park.

(We don't know if Depardieu has been to the Canary Islands before or not, but his character, Christopher Columbus, in the 1992 film, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, was certainly known to drop in from time to time.)

This news, of course, leaves us with a couple of questions though:

If Ms Loren and Mr Depardieu are to be "the center of attention" (we are sure that the candidates in their costumes had hopes there ...), what does that say about previous reports (here, here and here) that British actor, magician Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, was to have been part of that jury? Is that report relegated to the ranks of mere rumour, as suggested in this article?

It certainly looks like another one of Tenerife's "mysteries", because Un vistazo a Santa Cruz de Tenerife blog list numerous other members of the jury (I won't list them, because, if you're from outside Spain, I'm sure you'll have never heard of them) and, in any case, Radcliffe is definitely not amongst the names.

Perhaps David Copperfield already made him disappear? (It was also reported earlier that illusionist David Copperfield is to be on hand to make last year's Carnaval Queen, Elizabeth García, disappear, costume included.)

Magic could come in handy, because Canarias Bruta report in Chiquito carnaval scenery builders have screwed up and the 17 contestants will not be able to access the stage via the central door, because their costumes won't fit.

Otherwise, Madrid magician, Jorge Blass and virtually unknown radio "personality", Iván Bonales (he, at least, comes from Santa Cruz), will present the Gala. Xiomara Laugart, who is currently playing the late Cuban singer, Celia Cruz, in a new Off Broadway musical and Cuban hip-hop band, Orishas - who have also written this year's official Carnaval song that you can download here - are reported to be performing at next Wednesday's Gala in Tenerife.



Image of vintage ad, via: DivineCaroline

Photo: mando maniac

Labels: Carnaval 2008