The musical group Kardomillo, formed in 1992 by four young people from the Titerroy neighborhood, was in charge of officially opening the festivities in honor of San José with an opening speech full of memories, gratitude, and a sense of humor.
The founders Samuel Rubén Perera Duarte, Guillermo Santiago Toledo Hernández, Alberto Gabriel Rodríguez González, and Marcos Enrique Devora Curbelo shared with the public a heartwarming narration of their childhood and youth in the neighborhood, from the endless afternoons on the basketball courts to the improvised formation of their rock band.
"When we ran through these streets, it never crossed our minds that one day we would be here, being the heralds of our neighborhood's festivities," said Perera Duarte, beginning a journey through the collective memory of a generation marked by music, friendship, and the community spirit of Titerroy.
The group's history began with a guitar raffled on the radio, improvised drums, and a garage in front of the neighborhood church as their first rehearsal space. "We weren't making music, we were making noise. Nice noise, but noise," Toledo Hernández recalled humorously. The group, which defined itself as a "Canarianized rock fair," paid tribute to the numerous local bands that emerged in the 80s and 90s.
One of the most emotional moments of the opening speech was the gratitude to the neighborhood's musical references and to those who supported them from the beginning: "Thanks to Jesús, Julio and Aquilino Santana, to Toñín Corujo, and to my uncle Tino 'the Suffocated', that was rock and roll," Devora Curbelo highlighted.
After the reading of the opening speech, the mayor of the city of Arrecife, Jonathan de León, accompanied by the first deputy mayor and councilor of Festivities, Echedey Eugenio, officially inaugurated the festivities, which will last until next Thursday, May 1st.
The finishing touch was given by the group Kardomillo itself, which after its emotional intervention offered a concert in its neighborhood, sharing with its neighbors the music that saw them born as a band.
With this endearing act, Titerroy began its patron saint festivities, claiming the memory, culture, and local talent that have defined its identity for decades.
The event was attended by various authorities from the Arrecife city council, such as the mayor Jonathan de León, the first deputy mayor Echedey Eugenio, Kevin Moisés Cortés, Jacobo Lemes, María Matilde Corujo, Maciot Cabrera, Cathaysa María Suárez, Alfredo Mendoza, Cristina Duque, Roy González. Representing the Cabildo of Lanzarote, there was Jacobo Medina- Pedro Viera Espinosa, insular director of the General Administration of the State in Lanzarote. The Senator for Lanzarote and La Graciosa Manuel Fajardo Palarea.
Representing the Office of the Deputy of the Común, Dña. Gloria Gutiérrez, head of Cabinet of the Deputy of the Común, and Dña. Elena Jorge, advisor of the Deputation of the Común, attended. Manuel Cobos García, Infantry Sublieutenant, José Montelongo, director of the CEIP TITERROY José Pérez, and The president of the Negotiating Table Association for the Houses of Rocar, Garavilla and Ojeda, Antonio Betancort.
Similarly, the Titerroy Neighborhood Association wants to express its "deepest gratitude to all the people who accompanied us on such a special night. Especially to our neighbors in the neighborhood, who once again have shown that the heart of Titerroy beats strongly thanks to the affection, unity, and commitment of its people".
"We also want to have a heartfelt memory for those who are no longer with us, but are still very present in every corner of the neighborhood, in every shared anecdote, in every applause that sounds. And we send a solidarity hug to those who are going through moments of illness or difficulty: these festivities are also for you," they continued.
We wish you happy festivities, which serve to share, to reunite, and to celebrate what we are: a great neighborhood family united by our roots, our customs, and our mutual affection.
