¡Carnavales! Posted by Magda on Mar 17, 2010 in Spanish Culture
This last month has been a busy one, not only for the celebration of St. Valentine’s day all over the world, or the beginning of the Chinese New Year, this year in honor to the tiger, but also for the celebration of the Carnival: most of us know about the parades in Brazil, and the masks in Venice, but I’d like to introduce you to the “chirigotas” of Cádiz, a typical Andalusian celebration!
Although the carnival tradition goes back several centuries before Christianity, it was adopted as a prelude to Lent, the forty days of penance before the Holy Week. During these holidays it was “Don Carnal” who governed, and he was allowed to satisfy all mundane appetites, until “Doña Cuaresma” arrived implanting the fasting and abstinence.
In Cádiz, these moments of freedom are used today to create a satire of the social reality and politics of the year. Disguises and masks are used as in other cities, but the real essence of these carnivals are the “chirigotas“, invented musical jests that are the instrument that the gaditanos (natives from Cádiz) use as sharp weapons to criticize all that angers them. Groups of 7 to 15 men form these “chirigotas” (I’m afraid that to date only men can take part in the official jests) singing in different voices and accompanied by guitarras, bandurrias, tambores, cajones, mirlitones, guiros, etc.
There are several compositions included in their repertory: the presentation, the pasodobles, the cuplés and the popurríes. The presentation and the popurríes use music from actual and well known songs, but the other ones must be totally original. And all that is accompanied by disguises, staging, and lots of good humor, not only on the part of the members of the “chirigotas” but also from a public eager to enjoy a good laugh!
It would be great to meet you next year in Cádiz to enjoy their Carnavales!
You can see the live performance of “Lo que diga mi mujer” (Whatever my wife says) in this link, and read the lyrics both in Andalusian Spanish and its English translation…
http://libretodecarnaval.blogspot.com/2009/09/lo-que-diga-mi-mujer-in-english.html
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About the Author: Magda
Hi all! I’m Magda, a Spanish native speaker writing the culture posts in the Transparent Language Spanish blog. I have a Bachelor’s in English Philology and a Master’s in Linguistics and Literature from the University of Granada, in Spain. I have also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and then worked as an English teacher in several schools and academies for several years. Last year was my first at university level. In addition, I work as a private tutor, teaching English and Spanish as a foreign language to students and adults. In my free time, I’m an avid reader and writer, editing and collaborating in several literary blogs. I have published my first poetry book recently. And last but not least, I love photography!