A marriage proposal during Carnival in Vélez-Málaga
Álvaro Silva surprised his partner Thalia Boza, on the stage at the eastern Costa del Sol town's Carmen theatre during a music competition
The element of surprise during a Carnival competition at Vélez-Málaga's Carmen theatre on the eastern Costa del Sol on Friday 6 February was when Álvaro Silva got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend in front of the audience.
To the beat of a paso doble, with a choir and the audience on its feet, 25-year-old Álvaro from Torre del Mar, proposed to his girlfriend of eight years, Thalia Boza, 26, from Velez-Málaga.
With the curtain open and the theatre packed, Silva took the microphone to dedicate a paso doble to Thalia before kneeling on the stage and taking out a ring. "I want to sing a paso doble to you, my companion, who has given me so much, so that the whole world will know how lucky I am that you are by my side", he began, to the expectant silence of the audience.
Álvaro explained how the couple had met during carnival almost 10 years ago and addressed Thalia saying, "Thank you love for your joie de vivre, for teaching me to be happy, for always being a faithful companion; you are my refuge and my home and I can't ask for more than that," before asking the final question, amidst cheers and shouts from their fellow musicians and the audience.
Organisation
Boza admits that she didn't suspect anything when the paso doble began. "It was very moving and emotional... and of course I said yes," she told SUR hours later. She admits that when she began to hear direct references to their relationship, she realised that something special was happening, but she never imagined that her boyfriend would get down on one knee in front of the entire theatre.
Álvaro and Thalia both share a passion for Carnival and this year they are part, for the first time of El Camino choir. Silva admits that he was inspired to write the lyrics by a similar proposal of marriage that he had seen days before in another carnival on the internet. "I changed several of the lyrics, with elements of my own," he explained, determined that the text should reflect his relationship with Thalia and some shared memories, such as walks by the sea or Carnival nights in the Axarquía.
Álvaro had told journalist Mari Ángeles Salguero, a member of the choir and the director of the group, about his plan and she adjusted times and positions on stage so that the surprise worked without Boza suspecting anything. Several colleagues and friends were told in advance so that they were prepared to record the moment from different areas of the theatre, which has helped the video to go viral on social media pages and in WhatsApp groups in the Axarquía.
Although the engagement is now official, the Thalia and Álvaro have not yet set a date for the wedding. "For now we don't have a wedding date, because we have things going on, but I'm sure it will be a wedding with a nod to Carnival", says Boza.
