The theme of the next edition of the Festas Sanjoaninas, scheduled for June 19 to 28, is “Angra and Azoreanity.”

“The goal is to mark the 50th anniversary of the current autonomous regime, considering that we will have this celebration precisely next year. We will try to base the preparation and programming of the festivities on two texts, by Vitorino Nemésio and José Agostinho, from the 1920s, to provide context for the festivities,” said Guido Teles, vice-president of the Angra do Heroísmo Municipal Council, yesterday.

The intention, he told journalists at a lunch to review the Sanjoaninas, will be “to celebrate the Azorean identity, which is alive and well on our islands, but which is spread a little all over the world, especially among our emigrant communities.”

“It is a theme that aims to celebrate the Azores, the Azorean feeling and identity, Azoreanity itself,” he stressed.

The 50th anniversary of autonomy promises to be reflected “throughout the festival,” with the opening parade as the highlight.

“Throughout the year, the goal is also to work a little on this subject. It is important to reflect on the current autonomous regime and its future. Then, there is nothing like associating a festival such as the Sanjoaninas, with the projection they have and their ability to transform this theme into a subject with widespread visibility,” continued the deputy mayor.

Guido Teles rejected the idea that it is a problem to have the theme already decided when local elections are coming up. “This has been the tradition. When we took office in 2013, we already had a theme for the festivities. In all the elections we have had since then, we have also decided on the theme in advance,” he explained.

“This is mainly out of necessity. The elections will be at the end of September, beginning of October, and by then, especially those involved in the parades, and the opening parade in particular, need to have their work underway,” he said, adding that groups from outside the island that attend the Sanjoaninas also need an extended period for preparation.

Regarding the costumes for the festivities, Guido Teles considered that different events are introduced into the program every year, but that the current model “has worked very well.”

“Over the years, the Sanjoaninas have managed to grow and gain notoriety. We have been able to attract more and more people and groups from abroad,” he said. This participation will have “a more significant value next year, because we will be celebrating our Azorean identity,” said the mayor. Guido Teles emphasized the importance of the Sanjoaninas for the island’s economy, mentioning the hotel industry, the marches, the parades, and the cuisine. “There is an economic dynamic that far exceeds the municipality’s investment. 

That is the main objective of our festivities, for the City Council to create the conditions, coordinate and organize things so that the population can celebrate and the economy can also benefit from it,“ he stressed.

The outcome of the Sanjoaninas is once again ”very positive,” with Guido Teles describing the festivities as a success.

“On the third day of concerts, we had already sold almost all the weekly wristbands. We had completely sold-out venues on the first days of the festival, which we are almost certain will happen again,” he said yesterday.

In Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.