Santa Cruz de La Palma officially starts the countdown to the carnival with the presentation of the poster for Los Indianos 2024. The Plaza de España, which transforms into the Plaza de Cuba every Monday during the Carnival, has been chosen as the stage to unveil the official image of one of the most unique and distinctive celebrations in the Canary Islands and Spain as a whole.
During a press conference, the Mayor of Santa Cruz de La Palma, Asier Antona, and the Councillor for Festivities, Raico Arrocha, unveiled the winning design for this celebration. Once again, this year’s design was created by students from the Manolo Blahnik School of Art in the capital of La Palma as part of an institutional agreement aimed at promoting the talent of La Palma in this internationally renowned festival.
Yenthami Pérez González, a 2nd-year student in the Higher Cycle of Advertising Graphics, is the artist behind the official poster for Los Indianos 2024. Her design pays homage to the late artist, writer, and actor Antonio Abdo, a prominent figure in the capital’s carnival and the founder of the La Espera episode, which parodies the Los Indianos landing.
Pérez’s creation was selected from among twenty different proposals in various formats and techniques. She also designed the poster for Los Indianitos 2023.
Asier Antona expressed his gratitude to the Manolo Blahnik School of Art for their continued involvement, particularly the school’s director and Graphic Design professor, Mónica Reverón Donate. He acknowledged their commitment to instilling the cultural and emotional significance of Los Indianos in the new generation of young Palmeros being educated at the institution.
“It is our festival. There is no other like it or even remotely resembling it. It is our emblem, and we know that every time we hear the sounds that remind us of our history as Indianos and overseas,” stated Antona.
The Councillor for Festivities, Raico Arrocha, added, “With this presentation, we begin the countdown to the most anticipated Monday of the year, when Santa Cruz de La Palma once again becomes the port that welcomed thousands of Indianos and Indianas.” Last year’s disembarkation attracted a crowd of 80,000 people.
La Palma: THE INDIANITOS 2024
Both officials extended their congratulations to Yenthami Pérez and the creator of the poster for Los Indianitos 2024, Althea Rodríguez López. Althea’s design successfully captures the essence and joy of the children of La Palma during these festivities, dressed in Indian costumes and playing with talcum powder.
As in previous years, Los Indianitos will be held on the Sunday preceding Carnival Monday, which falls on February 11th this year. It is a family-oriented festival.
Year after year, an increasing number of people from the Canary Islands, Spain, and various parts of the world join the Santa Cruz de La Palma carnivals. This is due to the unique nature of the celebration and the appeal of the festival. In 2023, it was even named the runner-up for the best festival in Spain in the #MiFiestaEsLaMejor 2022 competition, organized by Club Rural, a pioneering web portal specializing in the promotion of rural tourism in Spain and Portugal.
