Floats are a fundamental part of Carnival. In Lanzarote, since the 70s, it has been a tradition for vehicles to take to the streets to brighten up the party. The float builders, well known throughout the island for their indispensable carnival intervention. No more and no less than 19 years, is what Acaymo Martín, a well-known float builder from Lanzarote, has been parading the vehicle throughout Lanzarote. From Arrecife to Tinajo, are some of the areas he travels every year.
Approaching the assembly and design of some of the floats is his main task, a job that he began to do by the impulse of a friend who invited him to participate. "I liked the experience and I stayed," he recalls with enthusiasm. The same desire with which he arrived, are what have driven him to prepare his float this year. "I'm happy, we are twice as many floats as in 2023, people want to go out in Carnival," he says.
Two years without going out in Lanzarote and doing it in Santa Cruz, but with the same enthusiasm he had in his beginnings. He has been preparing the float for months, something that makes him be involved in the project day by day. "For us, Carnival starts in December." It is the preparations that make them keep the desire to enjoy. "We go out to have fun, which is what is really interesting," he says.
The great prize they receive every year is to see the public happy and enthusiastic with the final result through the streets of Lanzarote. "We want people to have a good time and enjoy," he reveals. It shows the great affection and concern they have for seeing the public enjoy through their work. "We don't carry the prizes as a banner, if we win luxury, but if everything goes well I go home happy," he says.
Stress in the days before Carnival
Not everything is beautiful in Carnival, there are also some inconveniences that are not seen. The float builder tells La Voz the difficulties they have to face to have the vehicles ready for these long-awaited days. Nightly days and without a roof in which to finish their task. "We work at night, in the cold and without a sheltered area, we do it in the street," Martin denounces.
"We work at night, in the cold and without a sheltered area to work, we do it in the street"
Some "bad conditions" to which are added the continuous changes to be made in the days before Carnival. "We don't enjoy the changes they put us and we have spent a crazy stress to be ready for Thursday," he clarified. They start with their task months before, but the modifications arrive just in time. "They change the height and width to a month of Carnival," he adds as a claim.
With the floats "almost ready", this year they have had to modify some of the elements by regulation. And they were almost complete, and they have made us dismantle the fantasy to cut bodywork and expand the entrances and exits," he points out about some cases. For the float builder it is necessary that their requests are attended from the beginning. "They have to count on us, ask us and know what we think," he says.
Security has become the highest priority this Carnival. The vehicles will have to pass their technical inspections before going out on the streets. "They have to pass an ITV regulation," he reaffirmed. Some guidelines that have changed in a short time, from one year to another. "They pass mechanical revisions, braking tests, with the aim of knowing if it is prepared to go out," he adds. In addition, a first aid and evacuation course has been included to take responsibility for its use. "They have emphasized security, children are up and do not want to take risks," he anticipates.
Some measures that have made it difficult for more floats to leave and the involvement of more float builders, something very different from previous editions. "Before it was very easy to get a float, you called, you signed up and you went out," he recalls. Now, "the floats have to go in cranes and with all the papers in order," he makes clear as preventive measures. "If they made everything easier, the float group would be bigger," Martin wanted to emphasize.
Animation and fantasy theme
The theme of this Carnival was linked to a children's and fantasy environment. "It will be based on children's drawings, specifically, on the character 'Poppy', from the animated film 'Trolls'," revealed the float builder. The elements that distinguished the vehicle from the other floats will be the color green and floral elements. "It is focused with a fluorescent green background, the title of the fantasies in large, with three-dimensional flowers in front and behind," adds Martín. A float dedicated mainly to the children's public, taking into account that "our children will also get on it," he reveals.
The float was ready to go out last Monday in the parade of floats and tour the entire capital of Lanzarote. Finally, he won the third prize in the parade, so, the float builder was present on Wednesday in the celebration of the Burial of the Sardine. "I want to go out even if I don't win the parade," the man made clear days ago. In addition, he recognizes that together with the batucadas and the orchestra, he would have liked to participate in the Day Carnival. "I would like to go out in a static way in the Day Carnival."
During the parade contest, in which three floats were the winners, the vehicles were able to access the Agramar enclosure, enabled this year to host concerts and Carnival galas. The highest priority of the parade was to score the work done by the float builders previously. "This year will be valued the lights, the design and costume, in addition to the show in the bullring," he revealed about the bases of the contest.
Agramar was prepared to continue the party after the float parade. As a novelty and first time this 2024, all the floats entered the enclosure to encourage the people of Lanzarote. The initiative of the City Council of Arrecife has pleased the float builders who have long wanted to have more space in the Carnival. "It is a victory that we have music after the bullring," concludes the float builder.
