Parrandas

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2007's "Goat" district float in Camajuani slowly passing in front of the colonial structure of the local theater.

Parrandas are a traditional carnival-like street party with origins date back to the 18th century. They take place in northern cities of the Villa Clara province in Cuba. Most famous parrandas are celebrated in Remedios colonial city. Second by Camajuani and followed in popularity by Vueltas, Taguayabon, Calabazar and Falcon.

1 Origins and History
2 Event activities
3 Parrandas vs. Carnivals
4 Gallery
5 See also
6 References

[edit] Origins and History

Archive photo with a float circa 1940.

Parrandas were born in the 18th century when Father Francisco Vigil de Quiñones, the priest of the Grand Cathedral of Remedios in order to get the people to come to midnight masses the week before Christmas had the idea to put together groups of children and provide them with jars, plates and spoons so they could run around the village making noise and singing verses. The idea persisted over the years and with time it gain complexity ending in the street party that has remained till these days.

Testimonies place the Parrandas with structure of events similar to what is today as far as 1875. This includes both districts rumba, the plaza works (light and fireworks structures), the firework competition and float display.

By the 19th century the noisy children had developed into people’s rumba with rhythm, music and verses (usually instigating the other district). The first instruments used in the rumba were cencerro, bombo, repique, and one special local drum called “atambora”. Later, tumbadoras were added and in the 30’s trumpets made the final addition.

[edit] Event activities

Even when the entire party is celebrated under a competition mood actually is a friendly display of two districts that separate each northern town in Villa Clara province.

A district rumba, the musicians and flag carriers drag with their rhythm the followers.

First event: Around 10.00 pm the district in charge of the first display of the night announces his first rumba with a “palenque”; palenques are fireworks designed in such a way that once airborne they are almost soundless making them “invisible” among the ambient noise, they explode with a huge bang a few meters over taking by surprise the people gathered in town. Immediately after this the rumba starts with the purpose to "drag" as many dancers from the people while they sign their polka. Once the first district is finish the other one makes its entrance as well. This is repeated several times until the next event.

Rooster's district float from Taguayabon town ready for the 'run'.

Second Event: In Remedios city the second event is the lighting of the Plaza works, in the rest of the cities is the Float lighting. Floats are huge architectural structures filled with colors, light bulbs and fantasy décor hauled by a tractor. They have a theme each year and the characters on them have over the top fantasized outfits. In most of the towns these characters should keep still like statues, they are not allowed to move while the float is moving forward and the legend is read to the public, failing to do so will demerit the district. In Taguayabon on the contrary while the legend is read the characters perform as in a theater play. But this behavior is rather new and been consider “un-tasty” and against the tradition in the nearby locations.

Pyrotechnics's lighting up lines of fireworks in 2007 parrandas.

Final event: The fireworks. When the float’s legend is finished and the structure has reached the end of its travel, which is no more than 40 meters, the pyrotechnics, which have rapidly place lines as long as 3 or 4 blocks of rockets in the streets, use torches and running by the sides of the racks lit them. Once single run should use near 20 000 rockets. When the regular fireworks are finished the “mortars” are lit as well. Mortars are the antithesis of Palenques. This type makes a loud canon like sound that ends the display.

[edit] Parrandas vs. Carnivals

Modern Parrandas also come associated with all sort of vendors and activities on the side. Snacks like candies, pork and ham sandwich, pizza, traditional rice with pork and yucca, handmade toys and craft can be found all over. Occasionally some trills rides like Ferris wheels, carousels and dragon boats too.

While every town possesses their own particularities Parandas in general follow a very similar structure of events based on their very roots and while they might look similar to Carnivals they actually don’t share much common ground. In the Carnivals there are also floats, but instead of two representing districts there are as many as possible for the hosting city because the mayor even here is the float display and it takes hours and kilometers of city for all of them to finish the run. These Floats are also big in size but smaller compared to the ones made in Remedios, Camajuani and Vueltas cities. Characters in the floats do perform elaborated dances combining salsa, mambo, cha cha and all sort of tropical rhythms and of course no legend is behind their alaboration. There are as many rumbas as floats because in Carnivals they become a duo, and the rumba announces the float. Rumba performers don’t expect the people in town to join them since streets are close in the first place. They also are as over the top dressed as the characters in the floats and perform complicated routines. There is a mild firework display announcing the last float just cross the finish line and this lead to the end of the competitive run.

Most famous Carnivals in Cuba took place in Santiago de Cuba, Havana and Santa Clara. From these only the last once still is celebrated properly. The other ones have been canceled or have seen a total restriction of events due to lack of money.

[edit] Gallery

Preparations for the night party in Camajuani, after a year of secrecy making all the details, floats are assembled in one day only.	A kid stares at racks just prepared for take off in Camajuani streets. Several blocks (30 to 40 meters long lines) are filled with these racks.	Morteros (mortars cannons) ready to by fire.	Pyrotechnics at work in Taguayabon parrandas.
A character in costume.	The Phantom of the Opera a 2007 Toad's district float in Camajuani.	King Louis the 14th 2007 Goat's district float.	'Cleopatra' 2007 Hawk's district in Taguayabon.