Today we were privileged with a private viewing of the Carnival Museum in Montevideo, where we were joined by our new friends--Diego, Romina, and Valeria. A quick ride out of the bustling streets landed us in front of a nondescript building with large wooden doors. The early morning stillness of the out-skirts was soon broken by warm greetings from the museum guides. Inside, eye-catching exhibits and art lined the walls. As we walked and talked through the stunning collections of masks, banners, drums, and costumes, we could feel the electric presence of Carnival. The designs we saw were infused with African, European, and even Asian influences...but the energy was Uruguayan. The cohesion and nostalgia our guides exhibited could make one envious. It was soon time for our guides to give us our own little experience of the llamadas. They walked us into a room with costumes and drums...they put some of us in chairs and others in position to dance. Everything came together and, for a moment, we were transformed--living the carnival experience. I watched this group of typically reserved teenage friends bounce around the beat I played with a large, thundering drum. Too soon, we had to dissolve our comparsa and wash off our face-paint. We gave the guides a heartfelt goodbye and climbed back into the bus, heading on to the next adventure.
--Nick
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We later went to a terrific, fun, and memorable dance performance where our boys
danced candombe! check out the video:
