CELEBRATIONS – CARNIVAL – URUGUAYAN CARNIVAL

Celebrations - Carnival

Uruguayan Carnival

Characteristics:

Cultural Origins : African, European
Typical Instruments : Candombe Drums

Subgenres :
Candombe Beat, Murga, Comparsa, Revista, Candombe

Description:

Uruguayan Carnival is a popular festival that takes place every year in Uruguay from mid January to late February.

It is related to candombe, Murga and tablados. It has evolved into a dance parade in which different comparsas play the drums and dance to the music at "Desfile Innaugural del Carnaval" and Llamadas parade.

The biggest carnival celebrations are in the capital Montevideo and can last up to 40 days and it involves a series of cultural events such as dance parades in the streets, street stages called "tablados" and an artistic contest in the "Teatro de Verano" (Summer Theatre) in Montevideo.

Origins:

The background to the Uruguayan Carnival come in Europe, where in different contexts, the celebration of the harvest or a religious festival, served as a space for meeting people, creating a space for individual and collective freedom.

Already on Uruguayan soil, in colonial times, the days of Carnival and Christmas and New Year, Montevideans black slaves were covered with bright robes and gaudy and went outside to go to the city walls, whose feet were allowed to sing their songs and perform dances. Some common practices carnival in Europe, bran and flour shed, shed water syringes, throw eggs, oranges, or other objects were imported into Uruguay. The importance of some of these practices by the first inhabitants of the city of Montevideo led to the carnival celebrations.

According to Juan Carlos pattern, it is possible that in 1860, when two sources called "Wells of the King", the "van guerrillas" were disseminated and conform the first carnival practices were built.

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from Carnival Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: February 19th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Unique Stamp from Series
Value: UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 32 mm. x 71 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated