The children's murga Sofocados debuts its new rehearsal space in the Anaga district following a municipal investment of nearly 500,000 euros. The former María Jiménez school has been completely renovated over twelve months.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has handed over the new rehearsal space to the children's murga Sofocados, located in the former María Jiménez school in the Anaga district. The renovation, which lasted twelve months and involved an investment of nearly 500,000 euros, returns this space to the neighbourhood with a use linked to Carnival.
The building, which has served as a meeting point for different carnival groups since 1984, will be named “Jesús Manuel Tosco Lorenzo, El Compinche,” in homage to a beloved figure of the Santa Cruz Carnival. The handover took place on Wednesday, July 29.
The Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, highlighted during the event that “today we recover a building for the neighbourhood and, above all, for the future of our Carnival.” Bermúdez emphasised the municipal commitment to the carnival youth and to preserving a tradition that is part of the city's identity. “Investing in spaces like this is investing in our children, in popular culture, and in the generational shift of one of our main hallmarks,” he stated.
The Councillor for Heritage, Javier Rivero, explained that the renovation has involved a complete overhaul of the building, which was unused, to convert it into modern, safe facilities adapted to the activities of the murga. Improvements have been made to the electrical and plumbing installations, as well as acoustic adjustments and the recovery of outdoor spaces, always in coordination with the group.
For his part, the Councillor for Festivities, Javier Caraballero, noted that “this space represents much more than a physical location. It is a place where new generations of carnival participants will grow, where values such as teamwork, effort, and camaraderie will be learned.” Caraballero considered that investing in the youth is ensuring the future of the Santa Cruz Carnival.
The delegated councillor for the Anaga district, Gladis de León, emphasised the dual value of the project: strengthening the Carnival and returning to the María Jiménez neighbourhood a building recovered for community use. “This will be a vibrant space throughout the year, where children and families can develop activities in a completely renewed environment,” she stated.
The building has been distributed over two floors to facilitate rehearsals and the group's work. The floor designated for musical rehearsals features a large open area, a percussion room, a lounge area, and restrooms. The other floor houses the sewing and costume-making workshop, with a central area for sewing machines, a kitchenette, storage rooms, and toilets.
Additionally, the plumbing and electrical systems have been completely renewed, with work carried out in coordination with the murga to meet their needs. The space incorporates a specific acoustic improvement system in the rehearsal room, ensuring a more suitable environment for the group's activities.
The intervention has also included the renovation of the exterior area of the building, which becomes an extension of the space itself and will allow activities to be developed throughout the year, especially aimed at the children who are part of the murga.
With this initiative, the City Council continues to advance in improving facilities linked to the Carnival, a line of work that has already allowed interventions in other spaces such as the former Mercado de La Salud, where outdoor areas have been refurbished and the interior electrical installation is currently being renewed.
The City Council especially thanked the collaboration and understanding shown by the murga Sofocados throughout the development of the works, an involvement that has allowed the project to be adapted to the needs of the group and to realise facilities designed to continue promoting the youth of the Santa Cruz Carnival for the coming decades.
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