Clowns in the Mist

Clowns in the mist

They're coming for YOU!!!

In anticipation of Carnaval, which arrives in all its loud, hedonistic glory this month, the different barrios of the city throw together singing groups, called Murgas, to compete for various awards in the weeks prior to the parade and whatnot. The first round of murgas is between groups of children up to age 17. Some of the murgas have been practicing for six months or more. Others, like the one Ashley joined, have only been together six weeks or so.

The lack of preparation would be a real problem if the point of a murga was to produce beautiful music. Luckily for everyone but the audience, it's not. The songs are original compositions with three part harmony accompanied by a drum set and nothing else.  Murgas have two main functions: wear really elaborate costumes and satirize anything and everything. Mock political officials? Sure. Reinforce racial stereotypes? Don't mind if we do. Even take a couple jabs at the Three Kings for stiffing us this year? Why not?

The other point of murgas is to demonstrate how jaw-droppingly awesome the costume designers in Santa Cruz are. When I first arrived here, I couldn't understand why there were so many fabric stores and why they all seemed to carry strange things like gold lamee and rubberized polyester. Who on earth would actually wear this stuff? As it turns out, just about everybody, just not until February.

Melchor (or is it Pelicar?) back for round two.

I'm not sure what she's supposed to be, but she sure is cute.

The Martians have landed.

There were clowns every where. Not good for someone who's seen the movie It too many times.

The theme for Carnaval this year is "Flower Power."

I tried not to be bothered by the whole black-face thing, but I was. I think the diapers just made it worse.

These costumes won the award for Most Creative.

Though I thought these shields were pretty cool.

Most of the costumes were made of several layers. This is what the black face kids looked like before the diapers.

"I'm three years old and I'm on TV. How cool is that?"

Gender-bending is a firmly established part of Carnaval.

By the end of the murgas, most of the kids in the arena were channeling their inner Heath Ledger "Joker."