Exactly one hundred years later, San Juan de la Rambla celebrated on Sunday that on 17 August 1925 King Alfonso XIII granted the town the title of Villa, as evidence of his “royal appreciation for the people’s growing development of agriculture and their constant adherence to the Monarchy”. The highlight of the commemoration began at seven in the evening in the Rosario Oramas square of the historic centre and consisted of a “representation” of everything that defines the Villa and “how it has evolved in the last hundred years,” as highlighted by the San Juan de la Rambla Town Hall.
The historical journey was led by favourite son José Antonio Oramas, while the official chronicler of San Juan de la Rambla, Pedro Ángel Gómez, outlined what has been done in the municipality regarding the centenary celebrations from 2020 to the present date. Additionally, and as indicated by the Town Hall, attendees enjoyed moments of “special significance that are now part of municipal history”.
Writer, journalist, and teacher Loly Armas recited the poem “Danced San Juan de la Rambla,” taken from the work “Vuelta a la Isla” by Pedro García Cabrera. The poem was performed by the local choreographic group Titanium. Additionally, the play “A Hundred Years Ago,” was premiered by local groups La Chistera and La Alhóndiga.
The Town Hall highlighted, as a key moment of the event, the premiere of the symphonic poem “From the Sea to the Summit,” dedicated to the centenary, composed by José Luis Peiró. This was performed by both local bands jointly, the Artistic Association Alcaraván and the Musical Group XIX de Marzo, both gold medalists of the Villa of San Juan de la Rambla.
The event was attended by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, who, along with the mayor of San Juan de la Rambla, Juan Ramos, and the Councillor for Culture, Juan Siverio, expressed the “importance” of this date both for the region and the rest of the Canary Islands.
A special mention was made of the King and Queen of Spain, who hold the honorary presidency of the Centenary Commemorative Committee. It was made clear, as reported by the Town Hall of San Juan de la Rambla, that the Royal House, through an official communication from the Head of the Royal Household, has conveyed the greetings and congratulations of Their Majesties to all the people of San Juan de la Rambla on this significant anniversary. Although they were unable to attend the institutional event due to scheduling conflicts, they expressed their gratitude for the invitation and recognition to the municipality on this historic anniversary.
“This institutional gesture has highlighted the historical and cultural importance of the centenary of the granting of the title of Villa, and reaffirms the role of San Juan de la Rambla as one of the municipalities most committed to preserving its heritage and collective identity”.
The Town Hall of San Juan de la Rambla reminds us that the Honor Committee is composed of the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez; the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun; the President of the Canary Parliament, Astrid Pérez; the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila; the President of Fecam (Canarian Federation of Municipalities), María Brito; the Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco Javier García; the Bishop of the Nivariense Diocese, Eloy Alberto Santiago; and the Mayor of San Juan de la Rambla, Juan Ramos.
The advisory committee, for its part, is composed of the favourite sons José Antonio Oramas and Esteban de León; the local chronicler, Pedro Gómez; educator José Antonio Falcón; professor Josefa Dorta; former director of the Canarian Institute of Equality, Isabel de Luis; president of the Cultural Association Martín Rodríguez, Julia Borges; president of the Cultural Association Los Alzados, Carmen Nieves Luis; the president of the Medianías Cooperative, Manuel Reyes; the former president of the Musical Group XIX de Marzo, María de las Nieves Dorta; the director of the choreographic group Titanium, Noemí Díaz; former councillors of Culture Iván García and José María Pérez; and also the municipal employee Emeterio García.
