The festivities in honor of San Antonio María Claret officially began on Friday night with an event full of emotions, memories, and deep community roots. The social hall of the "Padre Claret de Altavista" Neighborhood Association became the beating heart of the neighborhood, welcoming family, friends, authorities, and neighbors who wanted to support Alexis Lemes Socas, who was in charge of reading this year's opening speech.
The evening began following protocol with welcome remarks from the President of the Association, Marí Carmen Santacruz, who thanked Alexis for accepting the invitation and encouraged everyone to participate joyfully in the extensive festive program for these celebrations.
The Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Festivities of the Arrecife City Council, Echedey Eugenio, and the Mayor himself, Jonathan de León, followed in the speaking turn, and in addition to congratulating the town crier, they agreed to invite residents and visitors to enthusiastically experience each of the events organized in honor of the neighborhood's patron saint.
Then came the most anticipated moment of the night. Amidst a warm ovation, Alexis Lemes Socas took to the stage. He did so with the humility and closeness that characterize him, and from the first minute, he managed to capture the audience's attention with an emotional journey through time.
With a serene voice and a gaze laden with memories, Alexis recalled his childhood in the Altavista of the 70s, when the streets were not yet paved and streetlights were nowhere to be found. To get to the "Los Geranios" school, he recounted, he had to cross a stony plain and go through the Altavista C.F. football field, which at that time did not know artificial turf. Those were difficult times, but full of magic, like the mornings of the Epiphany, when the children rode their new bicycles through the streets of the neighborhood, with an excitement that still resonates in his memory today.
His proclamation included references to his love for music, a path that began with a guitar and would lead him, through effort and dedication, to become one of the great timple players of the Canary Islands. That instrument, which over time would become his traveling companion, the timple has opened doors for him, given him encounters with renowned musicians, and allowed him to represent his land around the world, with four of his own albums as testimony to a consolidated artistic career.
After a speech full of anecdotes and experiences that brought smiles and more than one tear, Alexis shared the stage with two special friends: the renowned Cuban musician and guitarist Yosan Pereda, and the local folklorist Marcial de León, childhood friend and companion from his first musical steps in the Los Campesinos Folk Group. Together, the three offered an unforgettable recital of Canarian music, beginning with the "Sorondongo Campesino" in homage to Pedro Luzardo, recently deceased member of the group Los Campesinos. The emotion was palpable, including in the repertoire instrumental compositions created by Alexis himself.
The night culminated with a lively Isa Parrandera, which was enthusiastically sung along to by the audience, thus sealing an event that will be etched in the neighborhood's history.
Before closing, the evening still held very special moments. Alexis received the Emblem of the Padre Claret Neighborhood Association from Macarena García, a member of the Festival Committee. Immediately afterwards, the president, Mari Carmen Santacruz, presented him with the Insignia of the Association, which distinguishes him as an Honorary Member and Favorite Neighbor. Then, the mayor, Jonathan de León, presented him with a commemorative plaque, while the Deputy Mayor, Echedey Eugenio, presented a bouquet of flowers to Alexis's wife in a gesture that moved everyone present.
With the customary photos, sincere applause, and the warmth of his people, Alexis Lemes Socas concluded an unforgettable day. A magical night in which he not only kicked off the patron saint festivities, but Altavista reconciled with its memory and paid tribute to one of its own, who with his timple, his words, and his heart, has known how to carry the name of the neighborhood beyond our borders.
A night to remember. A proclamation that is now part of history.
