Trips to Colombia

TRIPS TO COLOMBIA: CARNIVAL OF BLACKS AND TARGETS

The Carnival of Blacks and Targets that is realized in I graze, between days 3 and 6 of January, show how the different ethnic groups express themselves through a celebration that is considered Patrimony Cultural of the Nation.

Doubtless, the Carnival of Blacks and Targets are one of richer the popular Colombian traditions in artistic manifestations. In addition, of music and dance, it excels the masters of the craftsmen who are in charge to make voluminous floats, that represent the magic of the popular legend, the irreverent ridicule to the personages of the cotidianidad or simply the fantasy and artistic imagination.

The Carnival is a space as well where the own timidity of the nariñense becomes amiable spontaneity: the 5 of January gamble the black with the “pintica” in the face of own and strange, remembering the times of the slavery when the Spanish crown on the following day allowed a day of freedom for the black and, it gambles the targets, under a perfumed talc rain preceding the slow march of the floats, to are of comparsas of ñapangas, as affectionately it is called to them to the farmers.

Comparsas that goes accompanied of the Indoamericanto, a group of thousand musicians with made suits every year for the parade, with his zampoñas, quenas and flutes.

The putting in scene has personages like the “Pretty Michita”, that is the same Virgin of Mercedes; the family Chestnut grove, that is the visitors; Pericles Carnival, the maximum authority of the Carnival under whose mandate only the joy and the enjoyment are of obligatory fulfillment for the town; the lavish floats and by all means, the black with its currulaos, marimbas and drums, and the targets and mestizos yet the splendor of the sound of his quenas and flutes.

Profane the Rescuing writer talked about to the Carnival of Blacks and Targets of the following way: “I have known other celebrations, but the carnivals of targets and black are indelible and they become engraved in the memory. What more memory is the scents of the carnival: the night of the old woman years is saturated of powder and fire.

The first days of January smell of field, liquor, flowers, girls. 5 to negrura, cosmetic, sweat shared. The 6, abound street atmosphere, anise, talc the aroma. Those are the scents that precede to the colors, the sounds, the rates. Clearly, the time of the carnival is exceptional and reveals the roots of collective rejoicing. It is a dream, a space for the enjoyment and the reconciliation with the life. For that reason, when it is visited I graze and the virtues are known the celebration, it is difficult to leave definitive way. “

In the Small square of San Francisco in Cali the route of the Andean races, a full spectacle of memories will begin that transport to the travellers to the time of the colony, to end at the colorful carnival of Targets and Blacks, in San Juan de Pasto.

As well, the dispute from the prize to the district better illuminated of the city takes place, event that finishes with a great celebration to 11 at night. The 3 of January are the carnavalito parade, as tribute to the Day of the Childhood and Youth and at night music concerts occur live.

Nariño waits for its national and foreign tourists to that in addition they taste his more delicious kitchen. Their typical plates are the boiled one, locro and the candies of the region, between which the famous “ice cream of paila” stands out.