There is something profoundly revealing —and worrying— about children's musical groups having to raise their voices to denounce serious deficiencies in their own contest. We are not talking about egos, nor about fees, nor about artistic whims. We are talking about children, about families, about tradition and about popular culture in its purest state.
That a children's musical group contest in Arrecife is held with space problems, technical failures, disorganization, and lack of foresight is not an accident. It is the symptom of a way of managing in which culture is used as a showcase, but neglected behind the scenes.
Carnival does not begin at the televised gala nor end in the institutional photo. Carnival is built for months in rehearsal rooms, in homes where parents sew costumes, in children who learn to sing in a group, to respect turns, and to love a tradition that belongs to them. When that foundation fails, we are not facing a minor error, we are facing a lack of respect.
It is especially striking that children's musical groups have to publicly denounce what should have been foreseen by the Arrecife City Council from the outset: decent conditions, safety, good technique, and an organization commensurate with what is claimed in speeches.
It is not valid to hide behind lack of time, nor bureaucracy, nor that "it all worked out in the end." That phrase is the wildcard of those who confuse improvisation with management. And governing is not putting out fires at the last minute, it is anticipating.
Children's culture cannot always be last on the list of priorities. It cannot be treated as a minor formality while demanding excellence, commitment, and passion from those who participate in it.
Arrecife needs to take its Carnival seriously from the ground up, not just from the main stage. Because when we fail in the small things, in what is done out of enthusiasm and not for profit, what suffers is not just a contest: trust, tradition, and the future suffer