 Tenerife’s lavish Carnival traditions have taken the best elements from Brazil, the Caribbean, Latin America, Spain and Africa to produce a spectacular season of joy which proudly claims it is as good as it gets. Actually, in modesty, they will allow that Rio Carnival may be #1, but they are a close second.
Political Intrigue
As borders dissolve, the impetus for new cultural initiatives seeking to recognize and promote the “cultural heritage” of great people’s festivals grows. The greater interest of City government and institutions in the health and prestige of their people’s event was much in evidence at this FECC convention which counted 8 Lord Mayors among its 200 plus participants.
One of the largest and most spectacular Carnivals in Europe belongs to Viareggio a seaside resort on the Northwest coast of Italy known for its giant paper mache float parades on the four consecutive Sundays before Ash Wednesday. The long time FECC member along with most of the FECC – Italy membership had split to form its own group. In addition, the cradle of the original Carnivals 2100 years ago, Patras Greece wished to found a new Carnaval group with fellow Carnavals on the Adriatic Sea. While many reasons were cited, it was clear that new funding opportunities becoming available for collaborative cultural initiatives from the growing European Union
(EU) was the major impetus behind the splinters.
The best evidence was an extraordinary FECC Presidium session that needed to consider over sixty measures submitted by member Cities, Carnaval clubs and individuals.
“A lot of amendments have been tabled here. Common interest must be primal. I repeat I am sure we will enter the new millennium prosperously” said President Henry van der Kroon as the session concluded. Still many individual members were not so sure as they prepared for critical votes at the upcoming General Assembly.
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Charismatic, energetic and the father Henry van der Kroon is a larger than life leader with a great passion for instilling the respect and adoration Carnavals deserve as special cultural heritages. Much of this role is ceremonial, requiring constant travel to Carnavals throughout Europe and the Americas. President van der Kroon is a natural as Carnaval emperor wearing the distinctive FECC uniform and jewels with the unique pointed white cloth hat which best resembles a royal crown. President Hank’s presence can change media coverage from a short announcement to a front-page photo and the FECC logo is proudly displayed on the dozens of Carnaval brochures brought by delegates.
The energetic and dominating personality of Mr. Van der Kroon has great interest in promoting the Carnaval Spirit and his ability to easily elicit a hearty FECC cheer of “Yasou,
Yasou, Yasou” is unmatched. These gatherings are called retreats and run for one week with many sight seeing excursions and social events because he wants FECC members to relate to each other as family.
Yet there is plenty of work to be done because in today’s world if you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. Most of the FECC participants are leaders who will report on their trip to their organization back home. However there are substantial long-time members from Carnaval clubs in Germany and Holland who bring their spouses and mostly socialize with others in their native tongue rather than English. Their role is the subject of the controversial constitutional amendments, which will soon come forward at the General Assembly scheduled at the beautiful resort like Hotel
Mencey, the convention headquarters.
Tenerife Tourism: the time has come
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“The time has come for Santa Cruz to reappear on the tourist circuit.” begins Mayor Miguel Zerolo Aguilar.
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His downtown Santa Cruz de Tenerife is bustling with new civic improvements, a new theatre, streetcar line, roadway tunnel and new ornate paving to compliment colonial architecture, wide plazas with fountains and dramatic sculptures. The streets gently slope to the port offering exhilarating views.
The Cities 210,000 residents and visitors can enjoy a wide variety of climates and ecological zones. Many of these can be observed on a trip to “the tallest mountain in Spain,” Mount Teide (3,719
metres) which becomes snow covered in winter. Very good local wines and specialties dominate the Spanish cuisine.
Tapas, outdoor dining and international restaurants without so many chains make Tenerife food a treat.
The most popular hub serving the Canary Islands is Madrid, a 2.5 hour flight. Connecting from the Americas generally requires an overnight airport stay and we picked Barcelona, This is the spectacularly beautiful port City that introduced Peter Minshall’s Trinidad Carnival artistry to billions at the 1992 Olympic Games.
The City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife shares much in common with the most famous small Carnival City of all: Port of Spain, Trinidad. Both are trading and cultural centers with dominant ports surrounded by neighbors whose main industry is providing beach resorts for tourists. Both tropical climates are able to avoid becoming too hot, giving you the extra lift one receives when fine Spring like weather shines on your day. Most notably both Tenerife and Port of Spain are planning to increase hotel rooms substantially in the next decade. |
Damaso Areaga Suarez, conference host and Tourist Authority VP
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with rights equal to City membership. Manfred Supe, former International Board Member speaking for the recently deceased FECC-Germany President, rejected the concept saying