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Origin
and History of Carnival
Part 4
Carnival of Curacao Children
In the festivities of carnival in Cura?o there is a
special place created for the participation of the
children, who have their own Queen of Carnival, Prince
and Pancho and burning of King Momo.
Children's Parade 2005
The youngsters also
have their own road-march which usually takes place a
week before the festivities of the adults.
Tumba Festival
As we have observed before, carnival was from the onset
a celebration which had its own local accents. In the
history of the carnival of Cura?o an important element
is the acceptance of the local form of music and dance
called tumba. Carnival of Brazil has its samba, Trinidad
its calypso, and Cura?o its tumba.
| Weeks before the great march, a special festival is held
to choose the winning tumba, which will be played during
the road marches. The tumba festival has
become an event, which can count with great interest
from the public. The competition is fierce. The winner
becomes 'Rei di Tumba', King of Tumba.
The tumba
festival nowadays lasts from Monday to Friday, with one
day of rest on Thursday.
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Farley Lourens
won the Tumba Festival 3 times in a row (2003-2005),
setting an all-time historical record. |
There is also a children's tumba festival, which,
contrary to the festivals of adults up to now, is
frequently won by a Tumba Queen.
From Elitist Colonial Festivity
to Popular Celebration
From the 19th century on when Cura?o was a Dutch colony
in the complete sense of the word, carnival was held in
private clubs, which organized masquerade parties and
carnival marches.
After the Second World War a group of citizens took the
initiative to create a celebration of carnival which was
supposed to become a festivity for the community as a
whole. It was also meant to sustain the then blooming
tourism.
But these early
celebrations did clearly not fancy the taste of the
majority of the population and the event did not yet
become really popular. This would take place only after
1969.
After this date the government of Cura?o also began to
take part in the organization of carnival, but the
success of this popular celebration derives mainly from
two things: the enthusiastic participation of the
carnival groups whose members dedicate a lot of time and
energy to their fanciful creations, and the irresistible
rhythmical power of the tumba.
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Courtesy of Colors Magazine:
? 1998, 2005
Source: Cura?o
Carnival Foundation
Translated and edited by: Drs. Trudy Martinus
Photos: Courtesy of Cura?o Carnival Foundation, and
Wenthily House.
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