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CARNIVAL
EVENTS
Pregón
- This
is an "introduction" to the Carnival. A Master of Ceremonies will host
an evening of general entertainment with some sneak previews of the
coming two weeks.
Murgas
& Comparsas -
Ask a team member and they'll probably tell you there's a huge
difference between these two events but to me, they're pretty much the
same. Each comprises of a team performing amusing and entertaining
songs. Their songs are about a current event or a political topic and
the difference would be that the "Murgas" is more about the song with
humorous gestures and movements, the Comparsas is also about dance and
more flamboyant costumes.
Gala
Reina -
Selection of the Carnival Queens. The main competition is the selection
of the adults Carnival Queen but there's also similar competitions for
the children's carnival queen and the pensioner's carnival queen. The
main focus of attention here is the costume. It's usually several
meters high and several meters wide and almost impossible to walk more
than a few yards in. They are spectacular to see and a team usually
spends most of the year working on a costume so the attention to detail
is also very impressive. Each candidate comes on to stage and slowly
parades from one side to the other to display her costume. The more
adventurous competitors will try a little carnival "wiggle" as they
move but most just try not to fall over!
Drag
Queen -
This tends to be the most popular event of all the competitions as the
guys have a go. Their costumes are less cumbersome than those of the
girlies as their time on stage is longer and much of their efforts are
spent on performing. Platform shoes several feet high and outrageous
costumes are the norm.
Mogollones -
All these competitions can get a bit too much, especially if you can't
get tickets for any of them. There's vast but limited seating for the
competitions so a couple of times during the carnival a "mogollone" is
held. This is an open-air, free-for-all carnival party. Carnival,
Latino and Salsa music, live entertainment and the party atmosphere
attract tens of thousands to these events.
Cabalgata -
The competitions tend to finish a few days before the actual carnival
does. Once all the winners have been selected there's the Big Parade
or" Cabalgata". With more than 200,000 people lining the streets, the
winners and other costume-clad entrants board fantastic floats that
parade through the main street. The thousands lining the streets are
also often in carnival costume and the carnival atmosphere is present
with everyone! There's also a children's day once the children's events
are completed and therefore a children's cabalgata too.
Entierro
de la Sardina -
I really should find out why the sardine is the symbol used to
represent the carnival. It's always been the traditional fish sought
after by the fisherman for financial reasons, who knows? Anyway, it is
and as the sardine dies (carnival coming to an end) it's parade through
the streets in the form of a 30 foot version aboard a float. It's taken
to the beach where it's finally laid to rest. The whole atmosphere
remains that of the carnival but with a more somber note, people often
dressed up in full funeral gear to mourn the passing of the carnival.
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