Uruguayan Carnival

CarnivalinUruguayis a festival that takes place every year in Uruguay from mid January to late February. It is considered to be the longest carnival in the world.The Carnival draws root fromcandombe,Murgaand tablados, which are forms of expression of Uruguayan culture through dance and music. From its conception, the Uruguayan Carnival has evolved into a dance parade in which differentcomparsas,groups of street performers in Latin American festivals, play the drums and dance at the "Desfile Inaugural del Carnaval" and "Desfile de Llamadas" parade. The biggest carnival celebrations are in the capitalMontevideoand can last up to 40 days.They involve a series of cultural events such as dance parades in the streets, street stages called "tablados" and an artistic contest in the "Teatro de Verano" (Summer Theatre) in Montevideo.

Carnival
UruguayanCarnivalin 1915 (Montevideo)
Genre	Festival
Begins	Mid-January
Ends	Late February
Country	Uruguay
Activity	Dance parade

Candombe drums

History

Afro-Uruguayans gathering for aCandombecelebration,c. 1870

The Uruguayan Carnival finds its roots in the colonial period of Uruguayan culture, where the days of Carnival, Christmas, and New Year were celebrated byMontevideansin brightly-coloured robes with song and dance outside city walls. As the event attracted more attention, European carnival traditions began to influence the Carnival celebrations, especially through objects and traditions such as bran and flour shed, shed water syringes, throwing eggs, oranges, apples, or other objects.

This cultural expression is rooted in the carnivalesque theatre which emprises both religious and civic rituals. In the mid-18th century, Afro-uruguayan enslaved people had one day off to celebrate their own culture and traditions to the rhythm of the drums ofCandombe music.In fact, the term "Las Llamadas" (The Calls), which is a traditional carnival dance parade in Montevideo, comes from the call made by the Afro-uruguayan slaves when they wanted to get together in the streets by playing the drums.

Festivities and music

The several festivities of the Carnival include theatrical-musical performances, street music and parades. Amongst these isMurga,a theatrical-musical genre that consists of a chorus of 14 to 17 people with murga drums. The themes of this musical theatre usually satirically portray thepoliticsand society of Uruguay. Here, performers have their faces painted and are usually dressed in bright outfits. Lyrical content is based on a particular theme, chosen by the group, which serves to provide commentary on events in Uruguay or elsewhere over the preceding year.

Comparsa at Llamadas parade in 1999

In addition,Escolas de Sambais also traditionally performed in the Carnival, principally in regions likeArtigasand Montevideo. Utilising Brazilian percussion, dancers and a chorus of people, the performers sing the Samba Enredo.

External links

• Carnaval del Uruguay
• Portal de Murgas
• Historia de la Murga
• Carnaval del Futuro
• Carnaval de Montevideo: La mayor fiesta de la cultura y la participación popular
• Directores Asociados de Espectáculos Carnavalescos Populares de Uruguay
• Escola de Samba Imperatriz (Uruguay)
• getty images: 1230 fotos e imágenes de Uruguay carnival