Colombia: Carnival of Barranquilla

Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza

Barranquilla's Carnival is a traditional feast that dates back to the 19th century. During this feast the city seems to completely stop with their normal activities as the streets are filled with dancers, music and various parades. The Carnival of Barranquilla is a unique festivity, which takes place every year during February or March on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Every year during the four days before Shrovetide, the Carnival de Barranquilla offers a repertory of dances and musical expressions originating from different Colombian sub-cultures.

The blending of various local traditions permeates numerous aspects of the carnival, particularly dances (as exemplified by the ‘mico y micas’ from the Americas, the ‘African congo’ and the ‘paloteo’ of Spanish origin), musical genres (the predominant cumbia and variants such as the puya and porro) and folk instruments (tambora and allegre drums, maraca, claves, etc). These kinds of rhythms hit for five days nearly all-central streets of Barranquilla.

What makes this carnival special is the use of profuse material culture of handcrafted objects including floats, costumes, head ornaments and animal masks. You will find groups of masqueraded dancers, actors, singers and instrumentalists that delight crowds with theatrical and musical performances based on historical as well as current events. In November 2003 UNESCO proclaimed the Carnival of Barranquilla as one of the Masterpieces of ‘the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’.

See more pictures from Carnival in Colombia: Click here