The festival of San Jerónimo
The festival of San Jerónimo is one of Latin America’s longest parties, spanning eighty consecutive days.
From late September to early December, the otherwise sleepy town of Masaya – Nicaragua’s bastion of folklore and indigenous traditions – comes alive with countless animated events. Dramatic dances are performed to the driving sounds of marimbas; great processions overtake the streets.
The procession of El Torovenado, filmed here on the third Sunday of November, is one such event.
The participants are dishevelled, disharmonious and curiously attired. There are men dressed as women, children dressed as monsters, and strangely hideous white-faced dancers reminiscent of gringos.
The entire procession is wild and shambolic. It aptly captures the chaotic, disarmingly irreverent spirit that is Nicaragua in its essence. Passersby mingle with dancers, vendors tout their wares, and machos brawl with blind, drunken ferocity…
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Tags: Masaya, procession, San Jerónimo, Torovenado
Sat, Nov 28, 2009
Festivals and Events, Masaya and around, Short Films