More than 900 people packed the Miguelturra Carnival Palace to celebrate the first of the 2017 carnival events. They did so by proclaiming Guillermo Summers, the man who had already heralded the town’s most emblematic festival in 1997, as Honorary Crier.

The mayoress of Miguelturra, Victoria Sobrino, has been in charge of delivering the parchment that accredits Summers as the illustrious Town Crier of Honor of the Miguelturra carnival in gratitude for his involvement and the work he has carried out for years in the election of town criers for the carnival miguelturreño.

Sobrino, who has been visibly enthusiastic about holding this act, wanted to publicly thank Guillermo Summers for the affection with which he has always treated Miguelturra and his carnivals, stressing that “it is an honor that he is once again a representative figure of our carnival”.

The mayor also thanked the work carried out by the Miguelturra Carnival Association in organizing this beautiful tribute of proclamation of the Town Crier of Honor, without forgetting the work carried out by the Culture and Celebration areas as well as by the entire carnival community.

Finally, Sobrino expressed his gratitude for the presence of “the best comparsa in Cádiz and Spain, “Los Cobardes”. He acknowledged the privilege of Miguelturra being chosen as the final destination for the tour of the 2016 COAC winners. He also publicly thanked the “Los Cansaliebres” group “for getting us ready for our beloved carnival”.

There is no carnival like it, from Miguelturra to heaven

For his part, the already proclaimed town crier of honour, Guillermo Summers, has reiterated his gratitude “to all those who have made it possible for me to be back in Miguelturra today”. Among his words of gratitude, Summers highlighted his desire “to maintain my status as a town crier” showing his satisfaction with some quartets that recalled how he gave the carnival proclamation 20 years ago “and how happy I return today to this beautiful city where they have shown me once again our great friendship”. The brand new town crier of honor thanked the Miguelturreños for dedicating this honor to him, stating that “there is no carnival like it, from Miguelturra to heaven”, ending with “Three cheers… long live Miguelturra”.

Prior to the event, Guillermo Summers, accompanied by the Mayor, Victoria Sobrino, the Councilor for Culture, Fátima Mondejar, the Councilor for Festivities, Diego Rodríguez, as well as members of the Municipal Corporation and carnival authorities, such as the King of the Carnival, Serafín Delgado, the president of the Miguelturra Carnival Association, Raúl Domínguez, the Major Masks of 2016 and those to be proclaimed in 2017, unveiled a commemorative plaque of this event at the MOMO (Carnival Museum).

The Cowards and Antonio Martínez Ares

The proclamation of the Honorary Town Crier took place during the break in the final concert of the Cadiz-based troupe “Los Cobardes” led by Antonio Martínez Ares. With their anthology “Al Caldero” (To the Cauldron), they demonstrated to the respectable audience of Miguelturra (who constantly cheered the troupe) why they won first prize in the Official Competition for Cadiz Carnival Groups in 2016.

The Martínez Ares comparsa has elicited applause from the packed Carnival Palace and has raised the audience on several occasions through its musical repertoire of pasodobles, cuplés and medleys. An act that has been organized by the Peña “Los Cansaliebres” in collaboration with the Miguelturra City Council.

It must be remembered that with this concert, “Cowards” put an end to a tour that has taken them to cover a large part of the Spanish geography; something that has been a great pride for the entire carnival community of Miguelturra.