Photos: Sergio Betancort
The town of Femés began its festivities in honor of San Marcial de Rubicón this Wednesday with the reading of the proclamation by the renowned folklorist and town resident, Clotildo Martín Duarte, who was very supported by his family, students, friends and neighbors, who completely filled the Church's capacity.
The mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, was in charge of presenting the speaker, with whom he has a great friendship, highlighting Clotildo's contribution to the municipality's culture, where he has always been involved in musical education as the founder of the Janubio band and professor at the Municipal School of Folklore.
Like many families in Lanzarote, in the 1960s, the speaker had to leave his town of residence to move to Arrecife, since in those years there was a greater demand for work in the capital motivated by the rise of fish canning factories. Thus, at the age of nine, he moved with his family to the Arrecife neighborhood of San Francisco Javier, although whenever the opportunity arose, he moved to his hometown, thus maintaining the connection with his people.
Memories of the old festivals and family anecdotes
Clotildo began his story highlighting some historical data related to the construction of the first cathedral church located in the Rubicón Castle, where on July 7, 1404, the first Bishopric of Rubicón, Diocese Canariense Rubicense, was established, which in 1485 moved to the island of Gran Canaria.
Also the speaker told how the residents of Femés lived the days before the San Marcial festivities whitewashing the houses with lime extracted from the lime kilns and how doors and windows shone again freshly painted green, as well as the illusion of being able to wear a new suit, shirt, pants and shoes. Likewise, the speaker, who comes from a family of 10 siblings, spoke of the survival mentality that reigned in families in those years.
Clotildo also told some anecdotes related to his parents' courtship, such as when his father, after getting angry, sang to his mother in the dance hall 'Walk sky sun and moon, give me your clarity, to follow the steps, to my love that is leaving me', getting from that moment that they returned and continued together until the end of their lives. Another very funny anecdote he told was the one his cousins Emiliano and Modestina made him go through, who threatened to put him in the henhouse if he didn't sing them a song.
Cultural development of Femés
The speaker also kept in mind the cultural development of Femés, putting Rafael Arozarena as a reference and other residents who have contributed a lot to the municipality and from whom he has inherited his passion for music. And, according to what his father told him, his grandfather Juan García played the piano in the church of San Marcial and his other grandfather, Emiliano Duarte, played stringed instruments. The romances of Aunt Isabel were also present in the proclamation, as well as the commercial activity of Femés, the musical groups and other work activities carried out in the town.
After the reading of the proclamation, the mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, presented Clotildo with a sculpture as a souvenir of a day that he will remember all his life. He was also accompanied at the presidential table by the parish priest Juan Antonio Gallego and the Councilor for Festivities, Javier Camacho. The act ended with the performance of the students of the Yaiza music schools, directed by Clotildo himself, and that of Berto Nieves, who performed songs with Canarian roots ending with 'Elogios', a piece dedicated to the town of Femés created by the speaker.
