CARNAVAL de BARRANQUILLA - Columbia
The Carnaval de Barranquilla in Colombia is a mix of Indigenous, Spanish and African cultures. The four day festival is a UNESCO World Heritage Event and expresses the Catholic traditions brought by the Spaniards, Aboriginal ceremonies and the musical legacy of African slaves. The celebration begins on the Saturday before the beginning of Lent with the Batalla de las Flores (Battle of the Flowers), a parade of floats, dancers and costumed groups.
Two distinctive characters of the parade are the Marimondas and the Congos. Marimondas wear brightly colored masks that combine African elephants and South American monkeys. The Congos wear two-foot tall, brightly decorated headdresses and present dances narrating the history of their ancestors in Africa.
On Sunday the Desifile de la Gran Parada (The Great Parade) takes place with a display of folkloric dances and rhythms such as the dance of the Hilanderas and the Garabato.
The day before the beginning of Lent is the burial of Joselito Carnaval, symbol of gaiety and festiveness. As the story goes, Joselito was a coach driver. One day he drank more than he was accustomed to and fell asleep in his coach. A passing carnival crowd came upon the coach and noticed his drunken state. They decided to take Joselito in his own carriage to the cemetery. The crowd formed a funeral possession crying and lamenting, “Joselito has died! Oh, Joselito why have you left us?” Today the laments are still heard as several processions round the streets to announce the end of carnival.
RESOURCES
Official website of the Carnaval de Barranquilla
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