The proclamation of Jaime Romero, Toño Aparicio and Oswaldo Machín, three of the historical designers of the capital's carnival, kicked off the Arrecife Carnival.
Before, at 7:00 p.m., a parade enlivened by the Batucada Villa Pipol, from the Four Corners, passing through La Plazuela and concluding the tour in the Islas Canarias Park, was the prelude to what is expected to be an exciting edition of the celebration.
At the opening of the Arrecife 2023 Carnival, the mayor of Arrecife, Astrid Pérez, pointed out in her speech that "I trust that the Islas Canarias Park, El Charco, the avenue, the streets and squares, in short, every corner of Arrecife, will be the perfect setting for the enjoyment of a few days full of joy and good humor, a time where healthy coexistence and the special talent of the people of Arrecife prevail, where the hospitality that characterizes us is displayed to receive the hundreds of people who come to the Arrecife carnivals from inside the island, also those who travel from other islands and from the peninsula, attracted by the fame of a festival that has become consubstantial to our way of expressing ourselves as a people."
For her part, the Councilor for Festivities of Arrecife, Encarna Páez, took the opportunity to welcome the carnival that "promises to be more vibrant and joyful than ever, with a program of events full of music, dance, costumes and lots of fun. We hope that all of you participate and enjoy every moment, sharing your energy and good humor with everyone around you." And she also had words of gratitude for the carnival criers who "for so many years, have demonstrated incredible talent and creativity in the design of the costumes of the candidates for queen of the carnival, the murgas and the comparsas. Their enormous effort and dedication are the key to the success of the carnival and represent an integral part of the culture and tradition of Arrecife."
The historical designers, heralds of the Carnival
The highlight of this first day of the capital's carnival was the celebration of the proclamation that, in this edition, was given by some of the historical designers of the Arrecife carnival. Specifically, Jaime Romero, Toño Aparicio and Oswaldo Machín were in charge of proclaiming the 2023 edition in an original and different act to the traditional proclamation of a festival in which, in an improvised sewing workshop located on the stage of the "Islas Canarias" Park, they broke down part of the history of the Arrecife carnival in a lively conversation with the presenter of the event, Carmen Nieves Pérez, in which several anecdotes and experiences of these three great local designers came to light in the experiences lived throughout the numerous editions in which they had the opportunity to "dress" the protagonists of the celebration.
After the celebration of the opening ceremony of the Arrecife 2023 Carnival, the party continued in the "Islas Canarias" Park with a musical show called "Tribute to Celia Cruz" in which thirteen musicians accompanied by the spectacular voice of Ailyn Pando took a tour of the great hits of the great singer Celia Cruz.
proclamation