A Year in Uruguay

Last year, during carnaval season, one of my readers commented that I would miss it once I left Uruguay. That prediction was certainly accurate; I miss it all.








With nostalgia, I put together a video slideshow of photos from last year's carnaval.



See it here:

Labels: candombe, carnival, murga, Uruguay, video

101 years ago, a group from Cádiz, España named "La Gaditana" spent a year performing in Uruguay because they didn't have enough money to return to Europe. The next year, a local group called "Murga La Gaditana que se va" ["La Gaditana That Went"] parodied them and Uruguay's tradition of murga was born.

The music diverged over the years but recently groups from Uruguay have performed in Cadiz and Spanish groups have performed in Montevideo. Araka la Kana won first place comparsa in this year's carnival in Cadiz.

We saw them at the Semana Criolla. Here's a video from Araka la Kana's performance:




On a somewhat related note: The Miami Herald recently ran an article on murga in Uruguay.

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

I was wrong about the end of carnival. Monday was the end of the official competition but several performances followed. Saturday was the final night of shows. I saw two groups, Curtidores de Hongos and Agarrate Catalina at the last tablado at the velodromo.

Here's a short video from the tablado:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

The final performances of Carnaval were on Monday night. Yesterday was la noche de fallos when they determine the winners and losers. There was live TV coverage on two channels last night. It took hours to calculate all the points-- running into the early morning hours.

The winners were:

Murgas:Asaltantes con Patente
Parodistas: Jacquet's
Humoristas: Sociedad Anónima
Revistas: Carambola
Negros y Lubolos: Yambo Kenia

I'd seen each of these groups at various tablados Here's a video of the first prize groups:



I'd already posted videos featuring Asaltantes con Patente
and Yambo Kenia. And one or more winning group appears in each of these videos: March 2 tablado, Tablado Tres Cruces, Carnaval Defensor Sporting and Tablado Defensor Sporting

More info? The official guide to Carnaval is a 75 page pdf file (in Spanish).

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

The weather didn't look promising Saturday and it was too cloudy to see the lunar eclipse, but I returned to Defensor Sporting Club hoping the rain would hold off long enough to see a few groups at the tablado. It did sprinkle a bit but the show went on.

I left around 1 am, after the fourth group, trying to make an early night of it. I got to my car just as it started to rain hard. I turned the key only to discover I had forgotten to turn off the headlights when I parked and the battery was dead.

I walked to a nearby gas station but they couldn't help, so I walked home in the rain, woke up my wife and she called an auxilio. Then I caught a cab back to Defensor Sporting and waited for the tow truck. The driver was friendly and helpful and my car started easily. 250 pesos seemed like a good deal.

The tablado featured La Margarita, Bafo y sus Mulatas, Sociedad Anonima, and Falta y Resto. Here's a short video:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay

La Margarita was the opening group at Saturday's tablado at Defensor Sporting Club.













See this short video from their performance:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Falta y Resto was the last group at my first tablado. I really liked their performance but I was so tired I couldn't stay to hear the end of it.

See the Falto y Resto website.

They were back at Defensor Sporting club on Saturday, so I had the opportunity to watch their whole set.


Here's a video of their despedido:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Agarrate Catalina was the closing act at Friday's tablado at Defensor Sporting Club. I'd enjoyed seeing them at the Teatro de Verano and I also liked seeing them on the neighborhood stage. It's a different experience being close enough to see their expressions.

Here's my video of Agarrate Catalina.

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Montevideo's carnival continues for nearly two more weeks. Most of the tablados have reduced their schedules to weekend nights but the Teatro de Verano still has shows everyday.














Here's a video from Friday's tablado at Defensor Sporting club:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

I spent another pleasant evening at Defensor Sporting Club listening to murga. Momolandia had a clever show themed around Leonardo da Vinci. I only stayed for two groups, since I'd seen the others, so I made it home before midnight.









La Bohemia video:


And Momolandia video:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

In many countries, carnival ends with a big blow-out celebration before Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras, for example). Afterwards Lent begins. In Uruguay, that Monday and Tuesday are vacation days and many families travel to the beach. Afterwards Carnaval continues. I'm not sure when Carnaval ends but I have seen events scheduled in March. Uruguay Total and Observa show the day's carnaval schedule.

Last night,I went to a tablado at Monumental Tres Cruces featuring: Diablos Verdes (murga), Gurrumines (parodistas), Yambo Kenia (lubolos), Cyranos (humoristas), A Contramano (murga), La Mascarada (murga de mujeres argentina) y Curtidores de Hongos (murga).

Here's a video of Yambo Kenia:


And here's a short overview of all the groups:

Labels: candombe, carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Last night we went to the Teatro de Verano on the Rambla near Parque Rodo. It's an open-air theater seating several thousand people.

The show was much like the ones I'd seen at the tablados, with two murgas--Todavía no se sabe and Agarrate Catalina-- and parodistas-- Antifaces. Agarrate Catalina won the murga competition twice-- in 2005 and in 2006-- and they were a crowd favorite.

During the breaks between shows, people lined up to buy beer, medio y medio, or snacks. I liked seeing the performers in full regalia mingling with the fans.

Labels: carnival, Montevideo places, murga, music, Uruguay

Curtidores de Hongos was the other murga group I saw on Wednesday night at Defensor Sporting Club.









Here's a short video:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Monday's tablados were rained out so I went home and watched a different Carnaval performance on local TV.

Yesterday, the weather was fine and I enjoyed another show at Defensor Sporting Club.












Here's a video of the murga group la Soñada:



Related posts: Monday's tablado and Saturday's tablado

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Tablados are held nightly during carnaval, and, yesterday, I returned to Defensor Sporting Club to see another performance. Monday, not surprisingly, wasn't as popular as Saturday night so I was able to buy a numbered seat close to the stage. Two of the murga groups were repeats from Saturday's tablado. This show had quicker transitions between groups and finished before 1 am, so I was able to stay for the whole thing.

Sitting closer, I could see better, and it was very loud. That improved the video quality:

Labels: carnival, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Tablados are an important part of Montevideo's carnival celebration, where murga groups sing on stages in the neighborhoods. For instance, I went to one yesterday on the basketball court of the Defensor Sporting Club near Parque Rodó. Different groups performed for about an hour each. I heard humoristas, paradistas, and three murgas-- a lot of entertainment for 50 pesos (about $2). I left reluctantly around 3:00 am-- torn between enjoyment and fatigue-- but families with little kids were still going strong.

Here are three videos from last night(and early this morning).

1. The tablado a mix of murgas, parodistas, and humoristas.
2. Falta y Resto:
3: Asaltantes con Patente (murga)

Labels: carnival, customs, murga, music, Uruguay, video

Los Mareados played a free concert at Punta del Diablo last Saturday. Because of the strong winds they couldn't sing on the beach, so they set up a couple of kilometers inland, right across from our hotel, Hostería del Pescadores. That made it very convenient for us. It was part of a music series sponsored by Uruguay's Ministry of Tourism and Sport.

Murga is a very popular type of music in Uruguay, particularly during Carnival season. Murga groups often wear elaborate make-up and costumes for their performances. I expect to see more murga during the next couple of months.

Here's a short video of Los Mareados:

Labels: carnival, customs, government, interior, murga, music, Rocha, Uruguay, video