Carnaval!

 There's nothing like February in Uruguay - a whole month of parades, costumes, drumming, dancing and singing, a masked ball, and nightly stage shows at Teatro Verano featuring comedians, choirs and clowns. The Afro/Latino version of the feast before the lean days of fasting is an all-out celebration of colour, sound, movement and symbolism.   Here's a list of basic Carnaval vocabulary that I've picked up on the street.

desfile de Llamadas:  parade made up of various drum groups and performers.


comparsas:  drum and marching corps, groups of men and women who parade during Carnaval playing percussion instruments.


candombe: style of drumming originating in Africa, combining elements of jazz, tango and samba with Bantu rhythms.


estandartes: flagbearers who lead the parade


escobero: young man with a broom or baton who performs acrobatic tricks, while sweeping away negative energy.  This character represents the energy and vitality of youth.


gramillero: an old man dressed in a top hat and tails, carrying a cane as he dances through the street.  Although a senior, this character is still spry.  


Mama Vieja: an old woman with white apron, bright turban, a parasol or a fan, who dances with sensuality and grace.


vedette: the show girl, wearing bikini and high heels, adorned with feathers, rhinestones and sequins. Based on Josephine Baker and the French Revue Negre.


murga: a troupe of men who sing in a chorus, often dressed as clowns


Negros Lubolos: groups of white men with blackened faces.   In a weird role reversal,  they sing songs expressing nostalgia for their African homeland,  their unrequited love for white mistresses and the hardships of working to please white masters.

Evening show at Teatro Verano, with a huge cast of traditional characters

Estandartes lead the parade

Vedette, star of the show

Drummer in comparse

The rhythm resounds like a heartbeat

Elaborate costumes

Plumes and beads

Gramillero and Mama Vieja

Hip-hop and samba on stage

Murga chorus member

Glitter, facepaint, sequins and sweat

To give you an idea of the intensity of the event, here's a clip of the Desfile de Llamadas 2011,  filmed as the parade passed through the Barrio Sur in Montevideo.