The carnival in Colombia was introduced by the Spaniards. The Colombian carnival has incorporated elements from

European culture The culture of Europe is rooted in its art, architecture, film, different types of music, economics, literature, and philosophy. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage". Definition ...

, and has managed to syncretise, or re-interpret, traditions that belonged to the African and

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

cultures of Colombia. There is documentary evidence that the carnival existed in Colombia in the 17th centuryBlasco, Carlos M,
Bogotá busca fiesta: entre el Halloween y el carnival
',

Universidad Nacional de Colombia The National University of Colombia () is a national public research university in Colombia, with general campuses in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, and satellite campuses in Leticia, San Andrés, Arauca, Tumaco, and La Paz, ...

, ocubre 1 de 2004 and had already caused concern to the colonial authorities, who censored the celebrations, especially in the main centers of power such as Cartagena, Bogotá and

Popayán Popayán () is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between the Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. It has a population of 318,059 people, an area of 483 km2, is locate ...

. The carnival, therefore, continued its evolution and re-interpretation in the small and at that time unimportant towns where celebrations did not offend the ruling elites. The result was the uninterrupted celebration of carnival festivals in Barranquilla (''

Barranquilla's Carnival The Carnival of Barranquilla ('' es, Carnaval de Barranquilla'') is one of Colombia's most important folkloric celebrations, and one of the biggest carnivals in the world. The carnival has traditions that date back to the 19th century. Four days ...

''), and other villages along the lower

Magdalena River The Magdalena River ( es, Río Magdalena, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of ...

in northern Colombia, and in

Pasto Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto (; "Saint John of Pasto"), is the capital of the department of Nariño, in southern Colombia. Pasto was founded in 1537 and named after indigenous people of the area. In the 2018 census, the city had app ...

, Nariño ('' Blacks and Whites' Carnival'') in the south of the country. In modern times, there have been attempts to introduce the carnival in the capital, Bogotá, in the early 20th century, but it has always failed to gain the approval of authorities. The Bogotá Carnival has had to wait until the 21st century to be resurrected, this time, by the authorities of the city. Colombia is recognized by its large variety of festivals, carnivals and fairs. Most towns have their own, ranging from those celebrating coffee (and almost every single agricultural produce) to the ones held in honor of the town's Saint feast. The common characteristics of the festivals are the nomination of a beauty Queen and the setting up of public dance floor.

Carnival in Southern Colombia

A very important and traditional carnival is the Blacks and Whites' Carnival in the city of Pasto, Nariño. It is one of the most ancient carnivals in the Americas. It commemorates the day in which the African slaves had a free day when they unleashed all their happiness. Some historians refer that in 1607, there was a slave rebellion in the town of Remedios, Antioquia that made the authorities panic. The event was remembered by the black population of Popayán, Cauca, who demanded a day off, in which they were really free. The King of Spain conceded January 5. It is said that when the news reached home the African population flocked to the streets and danced at the rhythm of African music and started to blacken with coal all the white walls of the city. The enthusiastic celebration was brought to Pasto by the Ayerbe family around 1854. By 1887, the celebration had reached to certain social spheres and acquired a high level of refinement, and people started using

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

s and

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...

s. The Castaneda family recreated by the January 4 crewes could be a characterization of the Ayerbe Family.

Carnival in Central Colombia

Bogotá 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 Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

with the name of ''Carnestolendas of Santafé de Bogotá''. In 1561 the Indian chief of

Ubaque Ubaque is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province of the department of Cundinamarca. Ubaque borders the municipalities Choachí in the north, Fómeque in the east, Cáqueza and Chipaque in the south and in the west is the ...

was allowed to participate celebrating the parties of his own culture (

Muisca The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan langu ...

) which were part of the celebrations until the 19th century. The carnival returned to the capital of Colombia in modern times. The celebration of the first Carnival in Bogotá dates back to 1916 and it started as a Student Carnival for which a congeniality queen was elected. The first queen of Bogotá's student carnival was Elvira Zea. After winning the contest she used her own 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 (krewes) and beauty queens. During the 1930s the national government and the council of Bogotá suspended the carnival due to disorders caused by alcohol consumption. An attempt to revive the carnival in 1960 failed again for reasons of alcohol abuse and violence. The Carnival was resurrected by the

Mayor of Bogotá In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

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 aimed 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.

Main Colombian festivals, fairs and carnivals

(''Carnaval de Barranquilla''), with a century-long recorded history it holds the second largest carnival parades in the world after Rio de Janeiro's. The Carnival of Barranquilla was proclaimed by UNESCO, in November 2003, as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral Intangible Heritage of Humanity, during Olga Lucia Rodriquez carnival queen year. *The Bogotá Carnival (''Carnaval de Bogotá'') starting around August 6, in order to commemorate the founding of the city, is a combination of various cultural events including masquerades, dances, and parades, among others. Parallel to this, the Bogotá Summer Festival is held, in which there are different social, cultural and sporting events, mainly in the area near the

Simón Bolívar Park The Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, best known as the Simón Bolívar Park, is a greenspace and entertainment and sports complex located in the middle of the city of Bogotá, Colombia. It is one of the largest urban parks in the World with o ...

* Rock al Parque in October, is the second largest rock festival in Latin America, after Rock in Rio. Around 1000 rock bands have participated in this event; both local and international bands.

Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso, and jazz drummer Mikko Sirén. Originally a classical- ...

, Slipknot,

Plastilina Mosh Plastilina Mosh are a Mexican electronic and alternative rock band formed in 1997. They are part of the musical movement known as Avanzada Regia. Jonás González is the lead singer and guitar player. Alejandro Rosso is more involved with the cre ...

and

Manu Chao Manu Chao (; born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish singer. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek, and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his mu ...

have performed in Rock al Parque, among other internationally famous bands. The event is held annually in

in Bogotá. * The Iberoamerican Theater Festival held in Bogotá every two years, is the biggest theater festival in the world. * Fiestas de Pubenza: carnivals or festivals are celebrations Pubenza which are carried out in

-Cauca. its programming varies each year. 2014 begins January 3 and ends four days after this celebration all participants can go free consiertos in various parts of the city playing with paints, arina and carioca remains a tourist attraction since the cost of the trip is not high besides that gaston not become a fortune not to mention the fun you can get on arrival. * Blacks and Whites' Carnival (''Carnaval de Negros y Blancos'') held from January 4 to January 6 in Pasto. Its origins date back to the Spanish rule times when slaves were allowed to celebrate on 5th and their masters showed their approval on 6th by painting their faces black. On these days they either put grease or talcum powder on their faces. * Manizales Fair (''Feria de Manizales'') celebrated in the city of

Manizales Manizales () is a city in central Colombia. It is the capital of the Department of Caldas, and lies near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Currently, the city is the main center for the production of Colombian coffee and an important hub for higher ...

the first weeks of the year. Costume groups in fancy dress take over the city. A congeniality coffee queen is elected and bullfighting (''faenas'') takes place. * Carnival of Riosucio (''Carnaval de Riosucio'') held every two years in January in Riosucio, Caldas. It is famous because it recalls past traditions with a mixture of art, music and customs by groups called Cuadrilas, drinking the traditional ''Guarapo'' (drink based on fermented maize) carried in Calabazos. During the carnival, the image of a cool and happy devil is exhibitted. *

Festival Folclórico y Reinado Nacional del Bambuco The Bambuco Pageant and Folkloric Festival is the largest and most important celebration in Huila Department and one of the most important celebrations in southern Colombia. It is celebrated annually in the city of Neiva during the Feast of Saint ...

Neiva Neiva () is the capital of the Department of Huila. It is located in the valley of the Magdalena River in south central Colombia with a population of about 357,392 inhabitants. It is one of the most important cities in southern Colombia, mainly ...

held on June 28 and June 29 for

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...

's and

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

's days. *

Cali Fair Cali's Fair (Dec. 25 - 30) is the most important cultural event in Santiago de Cali, Cali, Colombia. It is a celebration of the region's cultural identity, famous for the Salsa marathon, horse riding parades and dance parties. Called "La Feria ...

(''Feria de Cali''), held in Cali from December 25 to

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...

's Eve. It is famous for its Salsa marathon concerts attended by renowned

Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...

bands. There are horse riding parades (''Spanish: cabalgatas''), masquerades and dances groups. *The Flowers Fair ('' Feria de las Flores''), is held during August in the city of Medellín with its flowers parade and the main attraction called the Desfile de Silleteros. * Vallenato Legend Festival (''Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata''). Held in

Valledupar Valledupar () is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Caesar Department. Its name, ''Valle de Upar'' (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; ''Cacique Upar''. T ...

, Cesar, in April or May. The festival is a celebration of

vallenato Vallenato () or "Szlager" in Wayuu language (from the German "Schlager"), is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing t ...

music and also a competition to find the best accordionist of the year and to select the Vallenato King (''Rey Vallenato'') among hundreds of participants from all over the country. * Carnival of San Pacho (''Fiestas de San Pacho''). serealiza in city of

Quibdó Quibdó () is the capital city of Chocó Department, in Western Colombia, and is located on the Atrato River. The municipality of Quibdó has an area of 3,337.5 km² and a population of 129,237, predominantly Afro Colombian, including Zambo ...

Chocó Department Choco Department is a department of Western Colombia known for its large Afro-Colombian population. It is in the west of the country, and is the only Colombian department to have coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It ...

, 20 September – 4 October, a celebration to honor Saint Francis of Assisi.

Regional and folkloric festivities

* ''Folkloric Festival, Bambuco National Contest and International Folklore Show'' (''Festival Folclórico, Reinado Nacional del Bambuco y Muestra Internacional del Folclor'') in

. Mostly known as Saint Peter festivities (''Fiestas del San Pedro'') held between the last two weeks of June and early July. * Pubenza Festivities (''Fiestas de Pubenza''), in Popayán, known for its competition of ''Chirimias'' (folkloric musical groups). * Colombian Folklore Festival (''Festival Folklórico Colombiano'') in

Ibagué Ibagué () (referred to as San Bonifacio de Ibagué del Valle de las Lanzas during the Spanish period) is the capital of Tolima, one of the 32 departments that make up the Republic of Colombia. The city is located in the center of the country ...

. * Medellín's Tango Street (''Tangovía'') on Carlos Gardel Avenue in the suburb of Manrique. *

Joropo The joropo is a musical style resembling the fandango, and an accompanying dance. It originated in Venezuela and is also present in the eastern Colombian plains. It has African, Native South American, and European influences. There are diffe ...

National Festival (''Festival Nacional del Joropo'') in

Villavicencio Villavicencio () is a city and municipality in Colombia. Capital of Meta Department, it was founded on April 6, 1840. The city had an urban population of approximately 531,275 inhabitants in 2018.https://www.dane.gov.co/files/varios/informacio ...

in December. * Candles and Lanterns Festival (''Fiesta de Velas y Faroles'') is held in Quimbaya, Quindío on December 7 and 8. Each of the barrios in the township compete to produce the most spectacular lighting arrangements. *The Yipao or Jeep Parade in

Armenia, Colombia Armenia () is the capital of Quindio Department. Armenia is a medium-sized city and part of the " coffee axis" along with Pereira and Manizales. It is one of the main centers of the national economy and of the Colombian coffee growing axis. As ...

* Green Moon Festival Festival de la Luna Verde celebrated in San Andres y Providencia Islands, this is a unique festival with characteristics that make it different from any other festival in Colombia. Here the Afro-Caribbean influence is very strong, and predominance of the English language lyrics of calypso and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

References

External links

iGoNative
Festivals and Events in Colombia {{DEFAULTSORT:Carnival In Colombia Colombian culture Carnival Carnival