From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bogota's Carnival
or
Carnival of Bogota
(
Spanish
:
Carnaval de Bogota
) is celebrated in
Bogota
every year on August 5 and August 6 for the city's anniversary of its Hispanic foundation. Most of the cultural events take place in the heart of Parque Metropolitano Simon Bolivar
[1]
The festivities also include pre-carnival celebrations during the month of July. One of the main objectives of the carnival is to promote and encourage the cultural and musical diversity of
Colombia
.
Activities
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Many activities take place during the celebrations of the carnival
- Comparsas
(
krewes
): parades of folkloric groups, dances and music that represent the cultural manifestations from different regions and cultures of the country.
- Verbenas
: celebrations on the suburbs' streets with dances, music, games and gastronomy from different regions of the country.
- Pre-carnival
: days of motivation and preparation for the carnival including cultural events like street theater fairs, puppets, story telling, etc.
- Children's Carnival
, every year since 2005 the carnival includes a parade where the best comparsas of the Children's Carnival parade on the main streets of the city.
History
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According to historian Marcos Gonzales,
[2]
Bogota was one of the first cities in the continent in celebrating its own carnival and that in 1539, just one year after the Hispanic foundation of the city the
Spanish Crown
decreed the celebrations will be carried out in
Lent
with the name of
Carnestolendas of Santafe de Bogota
. In 1561 the Indian chief of
Ubaque
was allowed to participate celebrating the parties of his own culture (
Muisca
) which were part of the celebrations until the 19th century.
The celebration of the modern carnival in Bogota dates back to 1916, when the first queen of Bogota's student carnival, Elvira Zea, was crowned in a congeniality contest. After winning the contest she used her real name as Queen's name, in that occasion she took the name
Elvira I
. The queen was the person in charge of opening the celebrations. In the following years the carnival grew in number of comparsas and beauty queens. In the 1930s the national government and the mayorship of Bogota suspended the carnival due to disorders caused by alcohol. An attempt to revive the carnival in 1960 failed for reasons of alcohol abuse and violence.
The Carnival was resurrected by Bogota's Mayor in a Government Resolution on April 14, 2005. The objective of the new Carnival was to promote a collective atmosphere of fellowship and to celebrate life, creative expression, and enjoyment. It further seeks to generate a feeling of belonging to the city, to enforce processes of reconciliation and fair play, and the inclusion and recognition of all districts and cultures of the Capital City of Colombia.
Bogota's Carnival Timeline
[
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]
- 1539
? The Spanish crown by decree ordered to have the celebrations with the name Carnestolendas of Santafe de Bogota
- 1561
? The
cacique
of
Ubaque
brings to the carnival the celebrations of the
Muisca
culture.
- 1916
- As student carnival the first carnival of the century takes place, Elvira I is elected the first Carnival's queen.
- 1930
- Suspended due to problems of alcohol abuse and violence
- 1960
- An attempt to revive the carnival fails due to alcohol abuse and violence
- 2005
- The carnival is resurrected by the city's Mayor
Luis Eduardo Garzon
as the Carnival of Diversity. It takes place on August 6. A Children's Carnival is celebrated in October. The 2005 edition of the carnival, in occasion of the 467th anniversary of Hispanic foundation of the city, was called
the celebration of the diversity
and had a motto:
"celebrate life and express yourself as you wish"
. A metropolitan parade on the main streets of the city took place on August 6, with the participation of thirty comparsas, each of them consisting of at least fifty members.
- 2006
- The carnival was called the Carnival of Creative Sharing
- 2007
- The carnival was named the Carnival of Reconciliation
See also
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References
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External links
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Mixed arts
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Film/theater/literature
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Traditional/regional
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Carnival in Colombia
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Music festivals
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Rock
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Folk
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EDM
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Discontinued
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Related events
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