The opening parade of the 2023 carnival took place in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo on Thursday (19th).
The parade on Avenida 18 de Julio from Plaza Independencia to Plaza Cagancha marks the start of the classic Uruguayan festival, which takes place with various events and competitions until March.
Last year the carnival parade took place in the quarries of Parque Rodó due to the sanitary emergency caused by Covid-19.
The square on Avenida 18 de Julio is very small on the sides, which is why the Montevideo departmental government decided to move the point to a place with more space for spectators.
The traditional parade was attended by 47 carnival groups divided into different categories: murgas, parodistas, humorists, revues and comparsas.
These then take part in the official competition, which is held on the stage of the Teatro de Verano Ramón Collazo on the Rambla de Montevideo.
After the opening parade, the carnival will flood the streets of the smallest Spanish-speaking country in South America and the folk festival will be felt in every neighborhood.
Official competitions are held here, but there is also room for more homegrown artistic expression.
The official Uruguayan carnival competition then begins on Monday (23rd) at the main stage of the carnival, the Teatro de Verano.
The 39 participating groups have already been divided into five categories.
This competition consists of three phases in which each group is evaluated by a jury and from there goes to the next phase or not.
The winners will take the stage three times and each time their presentation will be enhanced by the time spent on the stages.
The so-called “tablados” are the stages on which the murgas, comedians and other categories show everything they have prepared for the carnival throughout the year.
There are well-known stages and others that are in the neighborhood, but all are packed to capacity and display different characteristics of the Uruguayan Carnival. Murgas are the most popular genre in Montevideo.
Among the best known are Araca la Cana, Contrafarsa, Falta y Resto, Curtidores de Hongos and in recent years new groups have emerged that have revolutionized carnival and pushed boundaries, such as Agarrate Catalina with its famous director Tabaré Cardozo, Queso Magro and La mojigata.
However, many of them are not taking part in the official competition this year.
The carnival groups are an important part of the carnival in Uruguay. They have their origin in the black population of the country, who came to Uruguay as slaves.
On days off, they would gather and practice the Candombe together, a folkloric dance accompanied by drums that originally expressed a longing for their homeland, Africa.
After the abolition of slavery, the candombe took over the streets of Montevideo and was included in the 1880 carnival celebrations.
Seven years later, the “Sociedades de Negros y Lubolos” was spoken of for the first time, since from this point on the white population was also able to join the groups.
Due to this importance for the people of Uruguay, the Candombe was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.
Every year around 40 groups parade along the Isla de Flores street through the districts of Sur and Palermo, where the first people freed from slavery were housed.
The event is one of the most famous manifestations of Afro-Uruguayan culture.
Uruguay borders Brazil, Argentina and the Atlantic Ocean and has long been considered an unknown insider tip in South America.
Dream beaches, a wide range of cultural activities, excellent gastronomy and a high level of security are all contributing to the fact that the small country is currently blossoming into a trend destination.
With vibrant Montevideo, picturesque Colonia and sophisticated Punta del Este, three exciting cities are just waiting to be discovered.
500 kilometers of coastline with dream beaches for every taste ensure pure relaxation, the wide pampa invites you to go on long rides and after an eventful day the “parrilla” tastes particularly good.
Thanks to the relaxed, friendly nature of the Uruguayans, numerous encounters and unforgettable travel moments are guaranteed.
With information from latinapress
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