Barranquilla, Colombia, Feb 14 (EFE).-
Barranquilla kicked off its Carnival, declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, on Saturday with the Battle of Flowers, a massive parade on the banks of the Magdalena River with over 14,000 dancers from 73 folk groups.
Along the ‘cumbiódromo’, over 50,000 attendees enjoyed a long performance where the high temperatures did not dampen the enthusiasm.
”With the Battle of Flowers, we kick off four days of Colombia’s biggest party, until Feb 17. Barranquilla residents and tourists come together to experience the excitement of the Caribbean and the beauty of our carnival, one of the country’s largest creative and cultural industries,” said Juan José Jaramillo, director of the entity organizing the festivities.
River of marimondas
The marimondas, characters with big ears, long noses, and round eyes that parody rich men who exploited the lower classes, were the most numerous in the Battle of Flowers.
They were joined by other traditional characters, including garabatos, congos, monocucos, and negritas puloy, which are traditional and part of the spirit of the festival.
“In my family, we all parade every carnival, and the marimonda costume is already part of our destiny,” says Gómez as he carries his seven-year-old son on his shoulders.
Parody of current events
As every year, the major national and international events were a source of inspiration for those who create the costumes and dance troupes for the Battle of Flowers.
One of the most striking costumes was that of United States President Donald Trump, who appeared accompanied by deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, followed by Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, holding hands with characters such as Wonder Woman and Venezuelan singer Óscar De León.
There were also representations of artists such as Celia Cruz and her husband Pedro Knight, Joe Arroyo, and Michael Jackson, who danced to the rhythm of champeta while characters from the popular Mexican TV show El Chavo del 8 and Mario Bros greeted the crowds.
Colorful floats
The Carnival Queen and many other personalities rode on floats, throwing flowers to the public, a spectacle that gives its name to this parade, which began in 1903 after Colombia emerged from a civil war, to celebrate peace.
This year’s Carnival Queen, Michelle Char Fernández, led the parade aboard her Regina Imperatrix float, from which she extolled the ancestral strength, the rhythms of flutes and drums, the fantasy and color, a sensory and emotional experience unique to Colombia.
The organization highlighted the Barranquilla Carnival’s commitment to sustainability by presenting floats built with environmentally friendly elements instead of polystyrene.
“Thanks to this initiative, the float builders received training in the creation of large figures using cardboard from Tomoaki Hasegawa, an artist specializing in traditional and contemporary Japanese scenography, who came to Barranquilla to teach his technique and contribute to the sustainability of these works,” the organization reported. EFE
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