Virgen del Carmen time again

[Janet]

It's midsummer, and Tenerife is pretty much on holiday now for July and August, and over these next two months throughout the island there is a series of fiestas honouring the Virgen del Carmen – the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel who is the patron saint of fishermen. The biggest celebration is in Puerto de la Cruz – 1-21 July (main day on 16th) - where the town is dressed up to the nines and with tens of thousands there to watch. Particularly popular in the south is that of Los Cristianos – 26 August to 2 September - but the same will take place, albeit on a smaller scale, in most coastal towns and villages.

The celebration involves a religious service followed by a ritual march with the Virgin's statue being carried to the sea accompanied by musical bands and locals often in traditional dress. It is then loaded into a boat which sails around a harbour or stretch of coastline to bless local fishermen and their catches for the coming year. The event ends with the inevitable fireworks, and is followed by music, dancing and food – which last throughout the next three or so days, usually over a long weekend.

Inland, the Virgen del Carmen is honoured for protecting and preserving the fertilility of Tenerife's volcanic soil and its agricultural productivity. Our own village fiesta is next weekend, and I've posted descriptions of the utter chaos before, including how we are given our own bomberos truck, and about the time they set our neighbour's house on fire ...  see HERE, it's called "Helmets and hosepipes time" for very good reason! Wherever you watch or participate in this year's Virgen del Carmen fiestas, have a great time!

[Perikles]

The event ends with the inevitable fireworks,

I wonder what level of general economic hardship would result in their deciding not to waste so much on fireworks. Last year in our village the firework display was very much shorter than the year before, presumably reflecting the smaller contributions extorted from the villagers. Perhaps this year they will restrict themselves to sparklers.

I don't really object to a firework display, what drives me nuts is the randomly timed massive explosions throughout the weekend. Nor do I object to all-night music from the village once per year, if only it had just a little style or taste. What they play can really only be described as utter shite. 

[El Profesor]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . all-night music from the village once per year, if only it had just a little style or taste. What they play can really only be described as utter shite. 

.
I don't think you are supposed to listen to it. - - - - - -

Pachangas - It is danced to the downbeat of four-four time to the usual mambo offbeat music characterized by the charanga instrumentation of flutes, violins, and drums.
Merengue - Merengues are fast arrangements with a 2/4 beat.

and probably liberal dollops of Cumbias -  This basic beat can be found in music of Yoruba (in the rhythm associated with the god Obatala), and in other musical traditions across West Africa. The basic rhythm structure is 2/4.

- - - - - you are supposed to take your lady down and wiggle your bottoms. That's the idea, anyway.

[Perikles]

.
I don't think you are supposed to listen to it. - - - - - -

Pachangas - It is danced to the downbeat of four-four time to the usual mambo offbeat music characterized by the charanga instrumentation of flutes, violins, and drums.
Merengue - Merengues are fast arrangements with a 2/4 beat.

and probably liberal dollops of Cumbias -  This basic beat can be found in music of Yoruba (in the rhythm associated with the god Obatala), and in other musical traditions across West Africa. The basic rhythm structure is 2/4.

- - - - - you are supposed to take your lady down and wiggle your bottoms. That's the idea, anyway.

OK - it's pachanga we are subjected to. The other two have got some style and rythym, but this pachanga is just crap noise on stilts. And as for not listening to it, it's pretty impossible at that noise level. I reckon most of the people in the village are deaf, they way they always screech at each other. Hence the noise level. 

[Perikles]

OK - it's pachanga we are subjected to. The other two have got some style and rythym, but this pachanga is just crap noise on stilts. And as for not listening to it, it's pretty impossible at that noise level. I reckon most of the people in the village are deaf, they way they always screech at each other. Hence the noise level. 

The really grotesque event is this pachbloodyanga all day until about 10.00 pm  then 10 minutes silence, then would you believe Schubert's Ave Maria, whilst they schlepp their gaudy wooden Mary out of church and face her to the hill where we are so she can see the village's finances go up in smoke for 10 minutes, then she gets lugged somewhere else and the pachfuckinganga starts up again and goes on till 6.00 am. 

[Janet]

I dunno ... it might be a pachanga in the day, but in the nights, I recognize the dance as a merengue ...

La pachanga ...



Merengue



and yes, liberal dollops of cumbia ...



drives ya nuts ... 

[Perikles]

Yes, you might be right. But by the time the merengue comes on, I've got ear plugs and an empty wine bottle. 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Anyway it's good to see Perikles is not getting wound up at all. 

[Perikles]

Anyway it's good to see Perikles is not getting wound up at all.

Anyway - I'm immune to peasant absurdities. I've experienced a few eisteddfodau in my time, having lived in Wales with young children. Nothing - absolutely nothing - can be worse than that.

[poker]

Yes, you might be right. But by the time the merengue comes on, I've got ear plugs and an empty wine bottle. 

You should be there with the local wine , that really plugs youre ears after a bottle .