Las Llamadas 2012: Day 1

So the "official" parade, the Desfile de Las Llamadas, was different than everything else I've seen and experienced here. Barricades, lights, tv cameras, falling trees, fireworks, even a fight. And the energy was amped up from the comparsas, and especially the people. The people, crammed together on the sidewalks, hungry and crazy for candombe.

This is everything I have worth sharing from the past two days (split into two posts). There's no possible way I can convey through words how it felt. The photos and video also don't do it justice, but here it all is in order of appearance (I hope!).

Pregame:

 

 

 

 Mundo Afro

 

Following Mundo Afro was all the filler before the main course:

And then there were the Queens of Carnaval (Llamadas, samba, and Carnaval):

And finally...LAS LLAMADAS:

Las Panteras de Benguela

Sinfonia de Ansina

La Dominó

La Llama

Kiamba

 Cenceribó

La Zabala

Villa Española

  

La Melaza

Serenata Africana

La Clínica

Tucurucumba

Snack break with Fellow Fulbrighter Megan Strom:

And back to the action:

 La 14

(that's catorce, not fourteen)

Sonidanza

That's all for Day 1, another post coming tomorrow with Day 2.



Yemanja

On February 2, while everyone waited for a groundhog to see his shadow in the States, Uruguayans were paying tribute to Yemanja, the African goddess of the sea.

Playa Ramirez

 An Umbanda ritual. Umbanda is a Afro-Brazilian syncretic religion, mixing African elements with those of Catholicism.

Offerings to Yemaja

Boats are filled with gifts to the goddess, and placed
in the river as an offering.

Spiritual cleansing ritual; including spitting over the shoulder.
With the wind, I should have been on the other side.

Thousands of candles were placed in the sand. Quite beautiful
in the dark. Unfortunately those pics didn't show anything.

People taking offerings into the river.

With my housemate, Cecilia.

Umbanda drummers prepping for a performance.