Interview by Julia Socorro, @islassem
We have traveled to "Carolan" in La Mareta, Telde to share with customers at the time of purchase and discover the emotions with which they receive the carnival of two thousand and twenty, the first real carnival after the pandemic.
"Do you know me, little mask?"
We spoke with two friends, Carmen and Fátima.
Since when are they carnivalers?
-Fatima: "always"
-Carmen: "I'm not a carnival fan, but if they push me... with a little... I'll go"
-Fatima:"Since she met me, she's a carnival fan" – laughter and parties
What carnivals do you usually go to?
Fatima: «Before I went to everything, when I was young I didn't lose any... Las Palmas, Telde, the south... In 2019, we went to Maspalomas. This year we are going by float to Las Palmas, which is our first float and it is also the first time we have gone to carnival after the pandemic.”
Carmen: «We are looking at whether we go from the allegory or from the theme of the float»
Fatima: «With the costume you have to feel identified, at ease... We are looking for a costume for fun and having a good time.»
What do you enjoy about Carnival?
Fatima: «We go to the parade... we let ourselves go... if we go to a lot or carnival of the day... we are already seeing it. This year he is going to go out to the carnival with confidence.»
Carmen: "The carnival grandmaHe was my uncle and for him it was sacred and he didn't miss anything.»
Rebeca and Yariza are with their babies and they welcome us like this:
Rebeca:"Saving the dustbins and taking out the purple."
What are you buying?
Rebeca: "This year we're all going to Star Wars, even the babies."
What carnivals do they go to?
Rebeca: "To Las Palmas and we're still going to Arucas, we're more from that area."
Many years going to carnivals?
Rebeca: «I am a carnival to death. She was born He points to his daughter. and at twelve months she went to her first carnival disguised as Snow White. We always dress the two alike.»
Is the carnival group expanding?
Rebeca: «We are already five friends, with their babies and we all dress up, mommies and babies.»
Yariza, are you also a carnival fan?
«It was not very carnival. Now I'm in for everything, since I had the baby.»
Do you usually go to all the carnivals?
Rebeca: Now I am more limited. Before if everyone went ». Now in the middle of the carnival, the babies sleep in the cart in the shade, eat... they wake up again and continue enjoying the carnival. The father is nothing carnival. If he wants he goes without dressing up. She and I, if we go to carnival ».
Yanira: "Daddy does dress up"
Do you go to the carnival during the day?
Rebeca: "Yes, it's the one we're going to because it's a prudent hour for her and for now I'm satisfied."
What costumes are you looking for?
Rebeca: «We are looking to go the same. Yariza already has it because there are costumes for baby boys but for my baby Princess Leia there aren't so many. Now I am looking for another princess option to go one day with my girl.»
We meet Juan and Alex who are trying on their costumes…
How many years going to carnivals?
From little ones, twenty years and more. - Laugh -
How many carnivals go around the island?
Mainly three: Las Palmas, the south and Telde. We have ever gone to Carrizal. Let's just go horseback riding. We used to go to the mogollones before, we have been removing that. Zero costumes.
What do they usually dress up as?
We have gone as nurses, policewomen... sometimes we go as women and other times as men's doctors, but we put on eyelashes and make up as women and with a lot of glitter.
Alex: «A year in the south with heels... six centimeters... when the carnival ended I had five millimeters left. I wore them out walking."
Do they always dress up as women?
Alex: «Another character bores me. Later, I feel persecuted because older men have already run after me... They invite me to drinks... In the end we have fun, we hesitate... Men flirt with me. We don't like floats because where you have fun is walking in the parade. In Telde, since there are fewer people, we have gone in the float.»
How was the summer carnival last year?
In Las Palmas it looked like a marathon, in three hours the ride was done. In the south it was boring. Carnival must be done now, in February or March.
Do you remember when we used to go around the houses?
Yes, you have to ask for eggs. It is getting lost... in small neighborhoods if some children still do it.
We have met Keny who is from Gran Canaria and Alberto who is from La Palma...
Are they carnival fans?
Kenny: «We do not go to the carnivals here, in Gran Canaria. He is from La Palma and we go to the La Palma carnival every year. We work in Gran Canaria."
How are the carnivals of La Palma?
Kenny: “They are totally different carnivals. There is the polvacera, in the square of Los Llanos de Aridani. The polvacera is like a carnival, we all go dressed up, not in white, not as Indians, but we go in disguise and from twelve o'clock in the morning we are throwing colored powder at each other, depending on the theme of the year, significant colors or white are used.»
Now what are you buying here?
Kenny: «We come to buy costumes for Alberto's goddaughter to dress her up on La Palma, because here there is a greater variety of costumes and especially those for babies.»
Alberto, have you been to Gran Canaria at any carnival?
«Little, because we go to La Palma every weekend.
The carnivals of Gran Canaria and La Palma are totally different. They cannot be compared. There in La Palma we are all with taco powders all day.
We met Violeta, the manager of this Carolan establishment…
How do they live from this business buying costumes?
People really want carnival. It was eating the grapes and coming to start seeing costumes. They are super happy with this year's allegory because it is a carnival with a wide range of possibilities and many accessories. They have a lot of joy, a lot of motivation.
Do most people buy for Carnival in Las Palmas?
Right now they are based on the Las Palmas carnival. Then, they come for the carnival of the south. These two are the great carnivals and the most sought-after allegories. Then people from other municipalities or other islands come, looking for the theme of their carnival. A lot of peninsular comes...
Violeta, people tell us about the variety of costumes you have...
One of our big trends is baby costumes. We have a lot of variety.
Are there more purchases online or in person?
The online purchase is mainly for the purchase of group costumes.
What is the most you are taking this year?
Afro wigs, glittery glitter and lots of glitter. The prints, the bell legs. Now they are with the excitement of Las Palmas. Then, they come to the south, this year it's rumbero and salsa.
Sheila Sánchez Calderín is a pizpireta dependent on Carolan, who with great desire and color dresses up for the Studio 54 Carnival.
People are definitely looking forward to carnival. Adults, babies, boys and girls, women and men. These carnival months make our lives more fun and creative. Each person going to the carnivals according to their tastes.
