| Thursday 1st March:
from 21.00 hours The grand gala election of the Carnival
Queens |
 - Opening of Carnaval 2007.
- Performances by “Los chicos de la calle”
- Mariachi Mencey Azteca.
- Comparsa Los Cariocas.
- The humour ofl Trío Zapatista.
- Afilarmonica Triqui-Traques.
 The winner is ....
17 year old Yulimar Evora Pérez representing Santos e Hijas and Motor 5, with a costume designed by Goyo Linares. 1st lady of honour 19 year old Sara Isabel Santos 2nd lady of honour 15 year old Cloe Ferrer Von Klosst-Dohna.
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Friday 2nd March: from 16.00 hours Childrens Special afternoon |
-Bouncy Castle.
-Carnaval workshops.
-Life Size Disney Characters.
From 10pm. Grand Carnaval open air ball to the music of Orquesta FORTALEZA.
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Saturday 3rd March: from 16.30
hours Gala Election of the Los Gigantes Junior Carnival Queen 2007 |
with performances by:
- Grupo Sole.
- Grupo Aranzazus.
- Murga infantil Triqui-Traques.
- Grupo Colegio José Esquivel.
- A performance by MICHEL (Mexican Singer).
From 11pm .Grand Mexican Carnaval Ball with performances by the famous bands:
ARGUAYO BAND and MELAO BORICUA.
PHOTOS: http://www.losgigantes.com/pictures/thumbnails.php?album=31
*During the evening Prizes will be awarded for best fancy dress in the following categories:
individual, couple and group.
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Sunday 4th March: GRAND CARNAVAL PARADE leaving from the Fisherwoman's roundabout in
Puerto de Santiago at 5pm and arriving at the Bouganville Plaza in Los Gigantes.
with the participation of; |
-Local Groups and organisations.
- The Ntra. Señora de Lourdes de la Villa de Los Silos drum and cornet band.
- Junior Carnival Princesses Float.
- The Teiderife group.
- Junior Carnival Queen's float.
- The Las Chicharacas Comparsa - song and dance troup.
- Carnaval Princesses Float.
- Los Cariocas Float.
- Carnaval Queen and Maid of honour's Float.
- Caña Dulce Musical Group.
- the Los Tabajaras Comparsa - song and dance troup.
- the Danzarines Canarios Comparsa - song and dance troup
- the Tropicana Comparsa- song and dance troup
- Santa Catalina Band.
After the parade, Grand Masked Ball with the Orquesta KIMBARA, who will entertain us until we drop!.
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| Monday 5th March - The Burial of the Sardine from 9pm |
The "funeral cortege will leave th entrance to Los Gigantes at 9pm and slowly wind its way to the town followed by all the "weeping widows" and the Fanfarria Santa Catalina band . they will pause in the Bouganvilla Plaza before continuing on to the car park behind the HOTEL LOS GIGANTES where there will be a Magnificaent Fireworks display put on by the Hermanos Toste de Los Realejos fireworks company.
Afterward in the plaza Bouganvilla, the Grand "Widows" ball with the fabulous ARGUAYO BAND.
Source: Comision del Carnaval de Los Gigantes 2007
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| When
is Los Gigantes Carnival |
Carnival Dates are not normally
confirmed until late November or December of the preceding year, but a
good indication can always be made by determining when Ash Wednesday falls
- the Carnival normally starts towards the end of the week after, the
week after the famous Santa Cruz Carnival is held. Check back here for
confirmation when it is received from the town hall and for links to the
programme of events and photo album nearer Carnival Time each year. |
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| The
History of Carnival |
 The
origins of carnival go right back to the pagan festivals in honour of
the Gods Isis and Apis in Egypt. But processions including dancing and
satirical plays, which were held in honour of the God Dionysus, were
also known in ancient Greece
More recently, historically speaking, were the revels held in ancient
Rome in honour of the God Bacchus, all classes of citizens took part
equally in these events, unlike the Saturnalian revels where roles were
reversed for the duration of the festival: the men waited on the women,
the householders on their slaves and in the army the soldiers elected
a comical “king” who dressed up and presided over the festivities.
But it was the Spanish conquistadors of the Islands who arrived in
the middle of the 14th century who were the ones who brought traditions
related to the celebrations Carnival to Tenerife. According to testimony
of writers and travellers of the time the well off families of the island
celebrated dances and fiestas to which they invited distinguished travellers
in the 18th century this was really the forerunner of the more modern
celebrations
Left
- Male members (honestly!) of the Los Gigantes Dot Com team take carnival
VERY seriously!
Many of the modern day elements of Carnival, such as
the masks and fancy dress can be traced back to the Roman times. Fancy
dress or disguise was usually associated with the ancient death cults
and by taking part in the revels in honour of Bacchus or Saturn one could
appease the spirits of the dead. A person dressed in white with a masked
face represented the spirits of the dead and the modern “burial
of the Carnival” can be traced back to this tradition. |
Once the Catholic faith was established the traditions of the revels
did not disappear, they were firmly rooted in the mind of the populace
and so the Catholic Church simply “hijacked” them and the
revels became “ Carnivals” taking place after the Christian
period of denial – Lent. The word Carnival is derived from the
Latin word “Carne” referring to the meat which had been
given up during lent, and "Vale" farewell
.The
costumes of the carnival queens are sponsored by local businesses and
weigh a ton!
(right)
There are traditions of Carnival all over Europe, In
Germany carnivals were held during the Middle Ages and renaiscence periods,
but the tradition decayed during the reformation only to resurge again
in the 19th century.
Italy is famous for the carnivals held at Venice, Rome, Florence, Turin
and Verona with sumptuous historical costumes.
In France the celebrations start on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
and come to a climax with the “death of Carnival”
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In South America the tradition goes on in Buenos Aires, Montevideo,
The Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Brazil is considered the best in the world.
Even in more stoic Britain many towns hold processions with carnival floats
and fancy dress parades, and of course in more recent years the Brixton
Carnival, held over a number of days has become internationally famous |
There have been several times during history when the church
or the state – with little success, has banned Carnivals! During
the time of General Franco - after the fall of the Second Republic and
the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the Carnival was vetoed
until the Seventies.
But as early as 1945, the Tenerifans began to celebrate Carnival in a
clandestine way in their houses, although the civilian authorities and
the clergy continued prohibiting this celebración.
Los Gigantes
Carnival Queen 2005 (left)
In 1965 the Winter Celebrations in Santa Cruz, as Carnival was called,
were declared of tourist interest, which is why two years later, in 1967,
the Santa Cruz Carnival became a Celebration of National Tourist Interest
and it was declared that the Wednesday of Carnival was the Day of the
Tourist.
The name Winter Celebrations stayed until 1976, when without the censorships
that characterized the Franco dictatorship, they finally adopted the name
of Carnival. But it was the 18 of January of 1980 when the Carnival of
Santa Cruz de Tenerife reached a wider audience, on being declared a Celebration
of Tourist Interest by the Spanish Secretariat of State for Tourism.
Today the Santa Cruz Carnival is considered one
of the largest and most colourful second only to Rio de Janeiro |
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| Los Gigantes Carnival |
 Our
own carnival in Los Gigantes was first held in 1981 and is usually celebrated
in the week after Ash Wednesday. Added to the fancy dress parades, queen
of Carnival in her stunning costume, open air dances and "murgas"
(literally nuisances!) -groups who perform satirical skits and delight
in sending up local and national figures of authority, we have the parade
of the "burial of the sardine". A papier-mâché
replica of a huge sardine is paraded shoulder high by black clad "widows"(actually
strapping chaps in drag!) down from the top of Los Gigantes through the
streets, stopping off in the Plaza Bouganvilla for a bit of refreshment
and to give the “widows” a rest from their wailing, on to
the car park next to the police station where the Sardine is incinerated
before the start of a fantastic firework display, followed by dancing
till the early hours in the Plaza. People often ask about the origins
of the tradition of the Burial of the Sardine, but no one really knows.
As described above, it has its roots in the death cults of ancient Rome
and represents the "death" of carnival, but the sacrifice of
the Sardine may also be a supplication to the "gods" in order
that the fish stocks will remain plentiful for the next year- not unlike
the "harvest festival" traditions in other parts of Europe.
The cross dressing of the "widows" has been associated with
the period of the Spanish civil war when male children were dressed up
as girls in order to avoid military service, or evenfurther back to the
“role” switching of the Roman Saturnalian revels, but in any
case great fun is had by all who take part! |
| Above some "Lovelies" from the 1st Los Gigantes
Carnival held in 1981 |
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| The 2005 papier-mâché sardine being paraded throught
the streets of Los Gigantes |
The first "Comisión
de Fiestas" organisers of the 1st Los Gigantes Carnival in
1981. |
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Song
and Dance troups comne from all over the island to be in the parade
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Girls
as young as seven vie to become Junior Queen |
Some
participants make better "ladies" than others! |
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