Las llamadas are the traditional carnaval parades of the candombe troupes. This is the second year that this particular parade has run for two nights instead of one. We went on the bigger night, and despite getting caught in the rain, it was FANTASTIC! I'm not sure how many drum troupes we saw, but we saw many before we left in a downpour a little before midnight I think, and they ran until 2:00 a.m. or so. The parade flowed very much more smoothly than the one that had opened Carnaval until the rain caused intermittent delays. Candombe has its roots in Africa, and it's a mix of Latin American and African drum beats. Apparently, the neighborhood where the parade is used to have a bunch of drummers get together hang out and drum; then more joined in; then more and more. Now hundreds and hundreds of people come out these two nights [and other times as well] to make this exciting event a reality. We could see the flags of each new group long before they reached us, when the drumbeats were just a faint throb. Dancers came next, costumed in feathers, sequins, and bright fabric. The candombe drummers followed in large groups, making a a tremendous sound that you could feel reverberate right through your body. Audience members joined behind the drummers dancing and clapping. I LOVED it! Despite the rain, despite the people drinking large juice boxes of wine, despite the massive amounts of pot being smoked around us, it was very, very exciting and beautiful. I would go again and again were I able, but I wouldn't go again to the boring Carnaval parade. [I'm trying, by the way, to upload some candombe drumming, in video format; hope it works! Allen Teel, this attempt is for you!]
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5 comments:
Karen,
Sorry to commandeer your blog comments to ask you this, but since you are having trouble with your email I didn't know what else to do. Do you think you would be able to fill in at MLCC in July if I decide to go to Ghana? The dates aren't firm yet, but I think it would somewhere in the neighborhood of the 10-28.
BTW, how is facebook working for you? I was wondering if you would be able to send me a message through there re: visitors' cards, background checks & credit cards.
Thanks,
Candace
P.S. I don't want you to think that I only come to your blog to ask you questions...I have been reading faithfully!
Hopefully you didn't end up with a contact high... :)
Karen,
I too visit your blog daily and have sent you an email and have not gotten a response. Did you get my email? I sent you a paper to edit, if you would please.
I have also sent some comments that it won't accept and I don't know why. The videos on my computer didn't work.
Gayla
Karen, I wonder if you were imbibing those pina coladas, since its been a long time since you blogged. Gayla, quit swearing and the computer wont edit out your comments.
Candace,
Ken and the girls aren't 100% sure of their summer schedule yet, and thus neither am I--but I'm pretty sure I can fill in at least a good chunk of July, as long as I'm not going to need to work close to full-time. I want to spend some time with family that I've naturally neglected whilst away, and that's the best month for me to travel places, more than likely.
Is that too weak of a response? It's the best I've got this minute (which, by the way, is 3:03 A.M. here -- AACCKK!!).
I'm sorry my email won't go out AT ALL!
Visitors' cards -- the template I made is on the computer. I photocopy them at the office, take them to Copy Stop to be cut uniformly.
Background Checks--as I recall, I was WAY behind on these. Don Bell's company, Guide One, knew of a cheaper way to do the checks (like as low as $5 per, I think), and this should be looked into-- but I don't remember any more than that.
Credit cards -- you need one, Peter needs one, a generic Minter Lane Church of Christ one needs to exist. Mine, I believe, is at home in Abilene. I didn't destroy it (nor have I used it since leaving, of course) in case I need to use it when subbing for you, especially if some emergency comes up (such as to buy myself a 1st class ticket to France, where I live in my heart).
Peace,
Karen
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