Moors and Christians 2023
Ester Hernandez, armengola
The new Armengola took office on Monday, still overwhelmed. “It will be very difficult to do as well as Elisa (Gil) did last year”
Barely a few minutes had passed since he received the ‘surprise’ call from the president of the Association of Moors and Christians, Manuel Ortuño, and he was still drying tears of joy after so many congratulations, hugs and photos with his family and friends. Before even picking up the phone from the mayoress, Carolina Gracia, since this Monday the new Armengola of all Oriolanos opens her festive heart to THE TRUTH. “It’s the greatest thing the party can give me.”
—What does it mean for you to be the new Armengola? Is it the culmination of your career as a party girl?
“It’s the biggest thing the party can give me.” It is not the climax because I want to continue here at the foot of the canyon always. I am very happy and very grateful.
—How has your family and your companions received the news?
—My family is just as happy as I am and my row will now see it. I still don’t know why they found out this afternoon. (Laughs) All that has come to me has been congratulations, but now I will see them and talk to them. They sure are delighted.
—And in these moments like this, who do you remember the most?
—I remember a lot now of a person who is not here right now and who loved her madly. (She gets excited) I also remember my family, my friends and the people who love me around me.
—He said that in 2005 they were his most special parties, I suppose these will be from now on
I think they can accumulate. That was very special and this year I suppose it will be too.
—You have been linked to the Moors since the 1990s. Has your way of living the festival changed since then?
—When I started I didn’t know the Moors because I didn’t know them as a child because I was born in Murcia. I began to live it as one more comparsista. My husband’s entire family has always been very involved in the Moors and Christians and so very soon I got involved first in the comparsa and then in the Association. They have been like stages, little by little.
—You already consider yourself from Oriolan by adoption, at what point can you say that you were baptized?
—I think that from the beginning I arrived because it is true that both family and friends and the people who surrounded me made me feel like one more. And the truth is that I have spent my whole life here and I feel as much from Oriolan as from Murcia.
—It never bothered you to join a sardinera or any orchard club, right?
—No, no, and I’ve been in Murcia and I’ve gone out and I still like it, but I don’t think one thing is at odds with the other. But obviously the Moors and Christians are the Moors and Christians and for me they will always be the most important thing.
—Have you also managed to infect your children with this passion for partying?
-Completely. The two are super involved and come out in everything. They love.
—How do you expect these holidays to be taking into account where we come from?
—I think they are going to be very special parties. It’s going to be one emotion after another and it’s going to be incredible. I’m sure.
—Do you have something prepared for the festive exaltation speech?
– What’s up, what’s up. If it’s hard for me to answer, I still like to think about it. (laughs)
—This year they will have to give him a cable with the festival magazine while he exercises his functions as Armengola
“It seems to me not.” I know they’re going to help me a bit, but I’ll try to do it this year too.
—Any message to the other partygoers?
—To thank you for this small sample and thank you that, whenever luckily I have been able to visit many comparsas, it has been very pleasant. And I hope that hopefully I can be up to the last Armengolas. I’m going to do my best to do well and make them proud.
—Has Elisa Gil set the bar high for you?
“Not high, very high. In fact, last year, watching the parade with people from the Junta and friends, we commented: “My goodness, how difficult it will be for the next Armengola to do it like Elisa” and I said: “Impossible, she can’t do it like Elise». And she looks where she has touched me. It’s going to be very complicated (laughs)
#climax #party #foot #canyon