Carnaval part 1- Chirigotas

Friday night: watching of the Chirigota finals. A chirigota is the name of the groups of singers that perform each year during Carnaval. These performances are a huge deal, and some groups even begin to practice months and months in advance. The best groups are usually composed of roughly 15 people who have been performing together for years and years, and each consists of mostly singers with one or two instruments, including a guitarist and possibly a drummer. The groups dress up in elaborate themed costumes and perform parodies of songs, replacing the lyrics with humorous lyrics poking fun of politics, the church, the people, etc. (I can’t help but be reminded of Harding’s Spring Sing, although much less politically correct…)

There are two types of Chirigotas; the first are those that perform and compete for weeks leading up to Carnaval. These performances take place in Cadiz’s great theater, La Gran Falla, which is sold out weeks in advance. Friday night is the opening night of Carnaval and the cumulation of all these performances when the best groups of the weeks before compete for first place in the final. This is the night that people stay in with their families and watch the TV- its almost as big a deal as, for example, the American Idol final. Only this final lasts until 4am. (And Mom always said that Idol final lasted too long…)

Los Puretes del Caribe performing in the Gran Falla

Being American, we didn’t have any strong interest in the final, but seeing as how we are trying to appreciate the culture, we put on the show and had a night in front of the TV. My favorite group was called “Los Puretes del Caribe,” and the theme was about the older men who go to the disco to scope out young girls- hilarious.

Illegal chirigota in the street

The second type of Chirigotas is the “illegal” Chirigota. This only means that they are unofficial so they don’t perform in the Gran Falla, but spend the week performing in the streets and restaurants. They will walk from place to place in the street, attracting a huge crowd wherever they stop to perform. Unfortunately, the streets of Cadiz are not very wide, so you can just give up the idea of easily walking by if you happen upon a Chirigota. If you happen to know somebody in a Chirigota, it is common to follow them from place to place in the streets, drinking and chatting with the singers in between performances. It’s like a big, outdoor, transportable, singing house party. 

Men in Tights

Of course, I have to talk about the kids! This is one post of what I’m sure will be many about things I notice about Spanish kiddos. Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about their appearance. The young children here are normally well dressed, and they frequently look like super cute versions of miniature adults. Whether they are at school or walking around in the street with their parents, I always look and wonder how in the world all the parents have convinced their children to give up the tennis shoes and jeans and replace them with little flats or boots and skirt/tights/leggings. The little girls frequently wear dresses or skirts with matching bows and tights- and not just for Sunday School. I’m talking about a Saturday afternoon walking along the beach. Granted, this doesn’t stop them from running around and being crazy like any normal child. They just look really really cute doing it. If only I had the motivation to dress as a 5 year old Spanish girl…

However, the little boys are my favorite: On a normal day you can see them dressed like little men, with their little sweaters and khaki pants. On special days or sometimes as school uniforms and the smallest boys wear cute shorts with- the best part- tights! At about 5 years old they outgrow the tight-wearing stage but I love seeing the little ones in their brown, white, black, blue, or maroon tights and adorable formal shoes. From what I've seen this style is basically unheard of  for boys in the United States, and every time I see a little boy with his outfit, complete with matching tights I just want to pick him up and give him a huge squeeze. Its so cute!

"Jesusito" at his Mama's wedding

Ese Cai Oeeee!!!!

I fit perfectly in a country where soccer – or should I say FUTBOL- is the most popular sport! It is a strange yet satisfying feeling to being genuinely interested in whatever the sport headline of the day is. The Cadiz soccer team is in the second-tier of teams, meaning that they don’t play the big guns like Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona. However, they hold their own, and are number one in their division this year with the possibility of moving up next year.

Goooooooooooooool!

This Saturday we Americans decked ourselves in Blue and Yellow and set off to cheer Cadiz on to… a disappointing 1-1 tie versus La Linea. That didn’t damper our enthusiasm, however, and due to our animation and excessive facepaint, our picture made it into the local online newspaper story about the game. This is the 3^rd game I’ve been to and I hope to go to a few more this year.