FIESTA IN GUAJAR ALTO

Guájar Alto’s annual fiesta in honour of its patron, the Virgen de la Aurora, has just ended and after three days and nights of uninterrupted celebrations, a strange hush has fallen on the village.
It was a successful event, well-organized by a team of dedicated mayordomos . The usual religious processions and solemn masses took place every day and there were special entertainments for the children which included the popular fiesta de la espuma in which machines spray everyone with foam and, of course, a bouncy castle and face-painting workshop. Various bands, groups and solo singers provided non-stop musical accompaniment and local theatre groups gave performances; for those who didn’t go to bed during the three days of festivities there was a surprise visit from a Brasilian drum band at 5:30 on the second morning. A military band also made an appearance, marching round the village beating drums or carrying rifles. In Spain, everyone dances and so the second night of the fiesta, as always, was dedicated to dancing.
Eating and drinking are an important part of the ritual of the Spanish fiesta and on the last day everyone was offered paella, prepared and cooked in the square in enormous, steaming pans. In the heat of the afternoon it was pleasant to drink with it tinto de verano, a refreshing and popular summer drink which consists of red wine, lemonade, a hint of vermouth and plenty of ice. The village square, where all the activities took place, was packed with people enjoying themselves; August is a busy month in Guájar Alto because not only are there a number of foreign visitors who have holiday homes here, but also people who have left the village to work or get married and who have returned to spend the month of the annual vacation with their families.
During the pleasantly relaxed afternoons of the fiesta we were entertained by an outstandingly accomplished band of young musicians from Marbella. Spanish bands are different from traditional English brass bands because there are more woodwind instruments and the resulting sound has a haunting, plaintive quality which reflects the Arabic influence on the music of this country.
It’s customary to dress up for the village fiesta and so the women in their best finery, complete with silk shawls and fans, and all the little girls in their best frocks and ribbons in their hair, made a colourful picture. When the paella was served, everyone was presented with a straw hat and a brightly coloured scarf, making it an even more vivid scene.
Noise is another important component of the fiesta ritual so throughout the celebrations the deafening sound of exploding rockets, either accompanying the solemn processions or announcing the beginning of each event, reverberated through the mountains. At night, firework displays lit up the sky.