Juan Martí Gandía
He was born on Sunday, March 5, 1961, in Carrer Sant Antoni in Ontinyent (Valencia). Son of José María Martí Soriano, “Martí” or “Pericanet”, and Carmen Gandía Soriano, daughter of Miquel “de Cristina” and Rosario “del Teularet”. He is the second of the three brothers. Of catholic family, it studied in the schools of the Patronage of the Working Youth, employees of the School the Conception of the franciscan parents.
His family is a festive tradition, his father, “Mariner and Afonao”, already had him in the streets to participate in the party, with the dress that his mother had prepared.
The family spirit of the family is very popular: it participates in the celebrations of Moors and Christians, those of San Antonio, Easter, excursions organized by the Franciscan Order Seglar, and actions in solidarity with the leprosy of Fontilles … a family that had to shorten the strap to maintain the standard of living. Your holidays were parties.
It begins with the group of friends to live the festivities and form the Clan Cocoliso, in the group of Mariners, friends of the street and other family members of the comparsa, where the party lived intensely, both in San Antonio Street and chalet by Danielet Gil or Arthur’s bass.
In 1972, a monk of the convent offered him the option of becoming a friar, and he was doing internally in Benissa (Alicante) courses 72-75, there he shares his life with many other children from many other towns of the Valencian geography and of Aragon where it is known as ontinyentí i fester, … and the best parties: those of his town.
To be a member of the sailors comparsa, in the processions he always carried the crutch next to Christ, remember how he went through the streets of the town and had to go down the streets so that they could not fit. Even one year, one of the Anderos was so big that he could not load and the other Anderos, since it was already a little bit, they said: “it changes the crutch by the bar”, and it loaded of bar.
The 75-78 years he attended the BUP in Pego (Alicante). The COU in Valencia (78-79) while performing the postulates to enter the Franciscan order. Every year he participates in the celebrations of Moors and Christians, although not so much in the Half Year Fester.
In the year 79-80 in Teruel the novitiate is a year of life as a friar in which the formation is received and deepened in the call from God. The following years he attended ecclesiastical studies in Valencia, where he also studied mimesis and worked with the hearing impaired.
In the year 85-86 he was appointed as a trainer at the School of Burbáguena (Teruel), the 86-88 studied computer science in Zaragoza, returned to Burbáguena and then to the School of Ontinyent, as trainer and director of the Seminar Franciscan, where he will reside for 8 years until being sent to Petra (Mallorca) in 1997.
In 1990, he was ordained a priest in the church of Sant Francesc.
The years of stay in Ontinyent are very participatory years at the party, so much so that in the year 1992 the Ambassador and Banderer club participated and as a Christian sentry.
To Petra he is the guardian for six years, others as Vicar of the Convent. There, in addition, he directed a printing press and tells that when people came in, how did the work done with the computer, a Mora or Christian walk was always ringing, and they asked him “do not you get tired of that music? … This is celestial music, “he replied.
Because he was Vicar of the Parish he had a very good relationship with Bishop Teodoro Úbeda. They are years when the holidays are always for parties, and they do not touch them. Other moments of the year are not as important as being able to participate in the festivities. The evil was how the festivals were in the last days of the month, since the feast of Saint John celebrates it by Saint John Degollat (August 29) and the Rector had to be.
The rock gradually disappears, until he was only at the party, until in 2005, invited by his friend Arturo Vidal, he joined the Asturs comparsa, and with him many members of the Cocoliso Rock.
In 2013, the friars demanded it for other necessary activities in the Franciscan Province of Valencia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands, appointing Provincial Administrator, Mission Animator, and Guardian of the Convent of the Virgin of the Angels in Valencia.
In 2015, the Vidal Ferri family gives him the first Astur “Frare and Fester” march. Work by Carlos Ferri “Patty”, and which premiered the Ontinyent Musical Grouping at the Mestre Ferrero Park, one week after the death of his father.
Fra Joan Martí Gandia, gave the proclamation of festivals of the Mare de Deu dels Àngels, which are celebrated in the neighborhood of the convent that the Franciscans have in Petra.
He has never won the competition of any squad, but we all know him. It is said that: “the friar makes the head of the square marking his feet on the ground and looking at the sky …” and it is true from the reality that we live puts our hope in the Blessed Christ of Agony.
