PHOTOS: Sergio Betancort.
Arrecife is already celebrating. At 7:00 p.m. this Monday, from the vicinity of the House of Fear on the bank of the Charco de San Ginés, a lively parade set off with the musical notes of the "Nomes13" band, accompanied by the giants and big-heads. Thus, they announced to the residents that the San Ginés festivities were about to officially begin.
At 8:00 p.m., all the members of the great Coros y Danzas Arrecife family took to the stage set up in front of the House of Fear to give the opening speech of the festivities.
The mayor, Manuel Fajardo Feo, and the councilor for Festivities, Víctor San Ginés, shared the presidential table with the six members of Coros y Danzas Arrecife who shared the reading of the opening speech. Each of them recalled what the festivities of yesteryear were like, which were celebrated on Adelante street, now known as Avenida Marítima.
Very close to where, more than half a century ago, the current folklore group began to take shape, first with a string section and a few years later with the incorporation of the dance troupe, the longed-for stalls were also remembered, where the rich goat and pork meats in marinade, the squid and the dried octopus were savored.
Memories of other times
In addition, the group recalled how mothers managed, despite the battered economy, to be able to premiere a dress at the party. At least, the eldest brother of the house, while the little ones had their older siblings' clothes retouched.
"Pepe Caña Dulce" was also very present in the opening speech, who arrived every year from Gran Canaria and barely got off the mail boat at the commercial dock with his drum and tin loudspeaker and followed by a large crowd of children, he toured the main streets of the city, accompanied by the giants and big-heads.
In addition, they recalled the Canarian wrestling in the old ice factory, the election of the Queen of the festivities in the Muelle Chico, today Ramiréz Cerdá park, and the parade of floats departing from the old Betancores warehouses, to reach the mouth of the dock. There, before the image of San Ginés, the folklore groups made their offering to the saint, before the great expectation of the first tourists who were seen around the city, which in 1965 managed to have the San Ginés festivities declared of National Tourist Interest.
The members of Coros y Danzas Arrecife also recalled how young people enjoyed the arrival of the bumper cars, the marine wave, the Ferris wheel and the pellet shooting booths, or the waits in the raffles to win a doll and give it to their girlfriend.
The members of the Coros y Danzas Arrecife group spoke of all this and much more in their opening speech, and also showed the public some of the clothing with which they began their journey in the world of Canarian folklore.
Once the reading of the opening speech was finished, all the members of Coros y Danzas put music to the act, with several songs that were sung and highly applauded by the large audience that had gathered. Afterwards, the Councilor for Festivities and the Mayor returned to the stage to present the president of the group, Santiago Torres, with a replica of the bridge of the balls, a symbol of the city of Arrecife.
