More than 1,300 carnival fans will participate in the parades this edition after the pandemic break
Carnivals represent one of the most important dates of the year. A date that encourages you to celebrate with joy, to dress in the most colorful attire and, above all, to dance day and night. This year, the Murcian district of Cabezo de Torres, which kicked off its Carnival on Friday, the first without restrictions after the stoppage due to the pandemic, will experience its most massive edition. In total, 58 troupes will join the big party in this town, 36 of them plus the Chirigota belong to the municipality, while the rest come from outside.
This is a figure that exceeds all expectations, reveals Pablo Belmonte, president of the Carnival Association of this town. «We are facing a record number of comparsas. We have even been forced to reject numerous applications for this edition”, says the head of the event, who announced that they are considering doubling the number of participants. More than 1,300 carnival-goers will flood the streets with their costumes.
The organizers have worked down to the smallest detail so that the celebration, which celebrates its 144th edition, once again is worthy of being declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest, a title to which they have been aspiring for several years. “Its antiquity and the identity it generates among the population make the Carnival unique,” Belmonte abounds.
“We are living with nerves because of the preparations that we didn’t even remember,” explains Jessica Espallardo, from the comparsa “Las rebeldes”, a group made up of 15 people, including this year’s museum, Pedro Medina. The young woman, who has been rehearsing since October, highlights the economic effort they have made -about 700 euros for each of the members of the band that was founded 10 years ago-, although she stresses how gratifying it is to dance in a suit surrounded by feathers facing the public.
“The preparation time has been long due to the pandemic, but we are really looking forward to it,” says Luis Sánchez, a member of the “Los destornados” rock. “We will try to surprise Tuesday with a theme that represents our way of seeing the carnival and leave it as high as possible,” adds the carnival fan, who prefers to keep the surprise that the 26 comparsa participants have prepared a secret.
“We are going with great desire, strength and enthusiasm,” declares Irene García, a member of the comparsa “You take me out of my mind” and aunt of this year’s muse, Irene Nicolás. “We are going to surprise like every year,” says the carnival enthusiast with great enthusiasm, but she does not want to reveal her costume either. “People must come to see us so they can see our feelings and how we conceive of life,” she adds. García, who has been appearing in the parade for 25 years, has been rehearsing the choreography with her colleagues mornings and nights for a month to leave behind the restrictions due to the epidemic. “We are going to enjoy it more than ever,” says this proud woman of her niece: “she has been going out since she was three years old, she has it in her blood.”
On Friday, the Historical Carnival Exhibition was presented under the gaze of the international photographer Juan de la Cruz in the lampposts of Avenida de Murcia and Calle del Carmen in this small town, as a central act in the programming of the event, which will close next February 25, with a parade and the burning of the Mask; On Saturday, the first Carnival Padel Championship was organized on the slopes of Monteagudo and the mass was celebrated for the deceased carnival fans and a floral offering.
“The average cost per person is around 800 euros,”
pablo belmonte
President of the Cabezo de Torres Carnival Association
The choice of the Mask this year fell to Fran Sánchez, former president of the carnival and current general director of Sports of the Autonomous Community. Likewise, the insignia will be taken by the comparsa ‘Los numeros’ and Marcos Martínez, better known as Grison, the guitarist of the program ‘La Resistencia’, will be the town crier at the coronation gala that will take place on February 17, at 10:30 p.m. the Príncipe de Asturias Pavilion, just after the children’s parade, which attendees will be able to enjoy from 5:00 p.m. The next morning, the podcast “Has been Critic” and Meet Grison will be recorded at the Cabezo de Torres Mayor’s Office. In the afternoon, the second open carnival will be held under the theme of animals and, at night, the canary Danny Romero will sing to the sound of the most carnival music.
Pedro Medina and Irene Nicolás will live their stellar moment on Tuesday, February 21 with the celebration of the third parade. The farewell will be on Saturday the 25th in the afternoon in a parade in which all the groups will be. And, as usual, the burning of the Mask will end the party, but the festivities will continue with the Chirigota Contest, on March 4, and Holi Life, on the 25th of the same month, an event that will be organized for the first time. after the carnival and that will be focused on children.
This year, the Carnival Association has had a budget of 250,000 euros -70,000 of them from the Municipal Board-, without counting the expenses per participant. “The average per person is around 800 euros,” said Belmonte.
Beniaján, Puente Tocinos and Llano de Brujas also join the carnival party
The Beniaján district wants to put aside the pandemic, which forced it to postpone the celebration of the last edition to June and join the celebration on traditional dates. This year it will have 18 children’s groups and 19 adults. “More than a thousand people will participate during one of the most anticipated carnivals by all,” says Nacho Franco, president of the Procarnaval Association.
The party is joined by the municipality of Puente Tocinos, where groups of friends and family will take to the streets for three days to celebrate with the neighbors. “This year we have had little time, but there is great enthusiasm, especially when a day of festivities has been added,” says Ascensión Belmonte, president of the Carnival Association, who highlights the participation of the troupe from the senior center. In total, twelve local groups and another 6 from other districts such as Llano de Brujas, Jabalí Viejo or Cabezo de Torres, will cross its streets.
The carnival of Llano de Brujas also started, the oldest in the municipality of Murcia. Sixteen troupes will give life to the pagan festival, which aspires to be declared of Regional Tourist Interest.
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