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Nella's spanish and european aventures
now i need to tell you about carnival. in carnival there are coros that sing they are not professionals they are groups of about 20-50 men (usu only men) who get together every year and compete and perform with a theme (dressed up as though its halloween only the entire group dresses the same way. there are first two weeks on tv to teach the people the songs before the festival, and the actual competition in which everyone can learn who is the best this year. then there is a week and a half long party in the streets of cadiz where the coros "chirigodas" sing and venders sell all kinds of things like at a fair. it is wise i am told to go only durring the day as the people tend to drink WAY too much. so we went on the last sunday, a few days ago durring the day in order to see the last important phase and end of carnival, the parade. the coros get all dressed up as usual, but cram themselves into a float-size trailer (undecorated and pulled by a tractor)the music (with few instruments, no amplifiers, and a great mix of voices) is sometimes amazing, and other times fatal.
el puerto, being so close to cadiz, has a carnival of its own, on saturday of the last weekend of carnival, so naturally we went into el centro to see that too, amazing the difference in the size and talent of the coros, but the spirit and excitement of the people is admirable, where else can you see 70+ women dressed up with random colored wigs, men singing with stuffed animal dogs on leashes in their pajamas, entire groups of teenagers dressed as cows, teenage (and older)boys dressed as girls everywhere, but here's the catch, their girlfriends are with them, and encouraging this behavior. it's helarious! it was fun, especially when we ran into susi and met all the people she always talks about and uses in her exaple sentences. great fun. look for pics eventually i've got a few.
lots of love
hasta
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