El Desbarajuste

Origins

It all began in 1959, one year after the creation of the first two San Roque crews (Euqor Crew and Rouna Crew). A group of friends had committed to taking part in a competition organised by the Brotherhood of San Roque to sing the praises of Saint Roch. However, for various reasons, those friends (who were also parents) did not attend the event. The president of the Brotherhood at the time reproached them for their absence, remarking that the group was "a complete mess" ("un desbarajuste"). The parents found the expression amusing, and during that year's San Roque festivities their four children took part together for the first time under that name. This chance event became the seed from which El Desbarajuste Crew was born.

In 1960, El Desbarajuste Crew officially took part in the San Roque Festivities for the first time, led by the parents of the very young crew members who made up the group.
By 1961, under the presidency of Pedro Vela, the crew already had 40 members.

El Desbarajuste Crew has experienced both prosperous and difficult periods throughout its history. There were years in which membership reached almost 300 children, while in others it dropped below 100. However, thanks to the extraordinary commitment of parents, committee members and the local authorities of the time, the crew has always managed to continue participating as one more San Roque crew: THE CREW OF THE YOUNGEST FESTIVALGOERS.

Uniform

White shirt and trousers, with a red sash and neckerchief, similar to the traditional Pamplona festival attire.
The badge features a young crew member dancing against a blue background, surrounded by the name of the crew.

Detail of the uniform
Photograph of the original emblem of El Desbarajuste Crew

The Spirit of the Crew

At El Desbarajuste Crew we have always had one clear objective: to inspire and prepare the youngest children in the values and traditions of the San Roque Festivities, so that, years later, they will naturally join one of the adult crews and help keep alive a tradition that is so special to the people of Calatayud.

The age range for crew members is officially between 4 and 14 years old, which is considered the ideal stage for children to fully enjoy the activities organised by the crew. Nevertheless, there are occasional exceptions, allowing both younger and older participants when circumstances warrant it.

The vast majority of adult crew members once belonged to El Desbarajuste during their childhood. This longstanding tradition, maintained by a crew almost as old as the founding crews themselves, is something that deserves to be preserved. It is essential not only for securing the future of the San Roque Festivities, but also for ensuring that junior crew members, adult crew members and the citizens of Calatayud continue to enjoy this unique celebration.

Everyone in Calatayud remembers El Desbarajuste Crew: the children dancing and singing through the streets during the early years, making so much noise that they could almost have been sponsored by a hearing aid manufacturer. Pot lids, bass drums, tambourines, toy saxophones, toy trumpets and even frying pans struck with sticks became improvised instruments that filled the San Roque Festivities with cheerful noise.

Everyone also remembers seeing them in the bullring, perfectly organised in their section of the shaded stands, enjoying their afternoon snack and their traditional orange and lemon ice lollies.

The constant excitement of the parades, imitating the adult crews with their miniature banner and their own brass band, has always been greeted with applause from young and old alike. Watching them pass through the streets fills everyone with hope, because those children represent the future of so many cherished traditions and unforgettable moments that have been shared over the decades.

Over Some 65 Remarkable Years...

Over all these years, several generations of people have managed and taken part in this San Roque crew, but the true protagonists have always been the youngest members. Most are the children of crew members, although many are also the children of families from outside Calatayud who spend the San Roque Festivities with us. As mentioned earlier, by 1961 the crew already had 40 members.

Throughout the 1960s, and later during the 1970s and 1980s, the crew consistently maintained between 200 and 300 young members, depending on how the festival calendar fell each year, enjoying an excellent level of participation and vitality.

In 2005, after suffering a serious crisis caused by management problems, the crew managed to recover to 150 members, the minimum number required to cover its operating costs. At that time, the crew headquarters were located in the Youth Centre. As an interesting fact, the children's badge in 2006 cost €45.

Also in 2005, the crew adopted its first official bylaws, and in 2006 El Desbarajuste Crew was formally registered as a Recreational and Cultural Association, becoming an official San Roque Festivities crew.

In 2009, the crew launched its website, www.desbarajuste.com, where members and visitors could keep up to date with the latest news and activities each year. The website is no longer active.

The following year, 2010, brought the most exceptional and difficult episode in the crew's history. The committee in office completely abandoned the management of the organisation and even deregistered the Recreational and Cultural Association from the Government of Aragón registry. This marked the unfortunate conclusion of several years of internal disputes and mismanagement.

Faced with this critical situation, a group of friends, led by Jorge Arnillas (then President of the Brotherhood of Saint Roch) and Juan Giménez ("Chinarro"), a member of the Inter-Crew Federation's Management Committee, stepped in at the last possible moment. They drafted new bylaws and registered the association again under the same name: ASOCIACIÓN RECREATIVA Y CULTURAL PEÑA EL DESBARAJUSTE.

This experience profoundly shaped the crew. To guarantee responsible management and the complete protection of its young members, one of the measures adopted was that every committee member must also belong to an adult crew.

The primary objective of this renewed committee—and of the current one—is to ensure that every euro of the crew's income is invested entirely in its young members.

From 2011 onwards, El Desbarajuste Crew completely left its past difficulties behind and focused exclusively on the interests and enjoyment of the children.

Especially during the first years after this new beginning, an enormous effort was made to recover the true spirit of the crew, gradually rebuilding the trust of families and restoring enthusiasm for the project.

Today, El Desbarajuste Crew enjoys excellent health. During the San Roque Festivities, its members have activities scheduled throughout every day. Alongside the traditional parades accompanied by their own brass band and attendance at the bullfights, at least one major recreational activity is organised each day, together with joint events shared with other crews. At the crew headquarters (currently located at Madre Puy 13, Calatayud), permanent attractions are installed throughout the festivities for the enjoyment of all the children.

Every day during the festivities, the crew provides all its members with both an afternoon snack and dinner.

Outside the San Roque Festivities, the crew also organises activities with charitable and environmental aims, including children's drawing competitions in schools and competitions to design the crew's annual badge (2024).

Presidents

It is worth noting that El Desbarajuste Crew has had relatively few presidents throughout its history. Most of them initially became involved as parents of young crew members, but over time they developed such a strong attachment to the organisation that they continued dedicating themselves to it for many years.

Listed below, in chronological order, are all those who have held the presidency:

Year	President
1960	Four parents (unknown)
1961-1971	Pedro Vela
1972-1990	Santiago Hernandez Calleja	Achieved outstanding participation by hundreds of children year after year, together with an exceptionally well-organised crew.
1991-1997	Jose Luis Mir	Together with other dedicated committee members such as José Antonio Torres, one of the true institutions of the San Roque Festivities.