Newssimbolomas

20 February 2024

Carnival burns the Sardine and announces an Olympic...

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 20 February 2024. The Sardine burned in the waters of Las Canteras to bring Carnival 2024 to a close. The Carnivals...

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12 February 2024

A Drag Queen apotheosis at the end of “Carnivals of...

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Monday 12 February, 2024 . If there is a hallmark which defines modern Carnival in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, that...

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05 February 2024

Carnival has a date with its Queen in La Isleta

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Monday, 5 February, 2024 . It was in March 1976, so long ago now. At that time, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, like the...

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29 January 2024

Murga and comparsa groups take over the Carnival

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 29 January 2024. Murgas and comparsas embody the essence of people’s creative expression in the Carnival of Las Palmas...

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15th to 18th Centuries

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival is one of the oldest, most deeply rooted and unique festivals of the Canary Islands capital. For over five centuries the city has celebrated with masquerading, tomfoolery... and flesh.

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Santiago García, Charlot

Santiago García Díaz, the Las Palmas Carnival Charlot (Charlie Chaplin), was a man who always stood out for his humanity, charm and charisma. He was born in Santa María de Guía, in the north of Gran Canaria, and he always took part in the festivities, even in the era when they were banned. In 1976, with the start of the official Carnival celebrations, he started to dress up as Charlie Chaplin, a personality whom he admired and respected, second to none. Dressed like that, always with his stick, his bowler and his bow tie, and his peculiar gait, he used to walk up and down the streets of the city, greeting the ladies like a true gentleman, full of tenderness towards the little ones and, above all, making everyone laugh.

He died in 2001 at the age of 73, just a few days after the end of that year's Carnival. The Carnival groups and the personalities from the fiestas went to bid him farewell, all in their costumes as he himself always used to say "may my funeral be a party full of Carnival party-goers looking to have a great time".