{"id":23007,"date":"2023-07-06T08:38:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T12:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/?p=23007"},"modified":"2023-07-07T08:51:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T12:51:37","slug":"asociacion-carnavalesca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/2023\/07\/06\/asociacion-carnavalesca\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dominican Carnival Costumes Of Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than a decade ago, Stelvyn Mirabal, the founder of the Lawrence group Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts, told me some of the anti-colonial symbolism of the ruffled suits and monstrous, fanged, papier-mache masks of the traditional Dominican \u201cdiablos cojuelos\u201d (limping devils) in his troupe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe natives used to do a mockery on the Spaniards,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Spaniards used to wear the suits when Christopher Columbus discovered America. So that\u2019s the suits. And the faces\u2014they were like devils.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent exhibition \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa\u201d<\/a> which was on view through June 7, 2023, at the Essex Art Center in Lawrence, showcased the dazzling costumes of Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts, many made in the Dominican Republic by traditional costume makers for the annual February carnival there and imported by Mirabal. The group was founded in 2000 and now counts some 45 performers bringing the Caribbean tradition here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts masks and suits in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

State Folklorist Maggie Holtzberg recounts<\/a> another story attached to the diablos cojuelos: \u201ca demon was once banished to Earth because of his clownish pranks and was injured in his fall, hence the limp.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStelvyn\u2019s home city of Santiago Los Caballeros is known for its style of masks, which are called lechones (meaning pig),\u201d Holtzberg has written. \u201cThey are considered tradicional costumes and are relatively simple; the masks represent pigs or ducks.  Suits from the city of La Vega are larger and more elaborate and are referred to as fantas\u00eda. The lechones play the role of vejigantes, those who protect the people in the carnival, who, at one time, were members of the royalty. Vejigantes carry and swing inflated cow bladders to keep the crowd away from the parading comparsas.  Here in the United States, the cow bladders have been replaced by colorful balloons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lechones dance as they crack whips. \u201cThe way we dance is an African dance,\u201d Mirabal told Holtzberg. \u201cSo it\u2019s passed generation to generation. We dance different from the guys from La Vega. They jump.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

If this is the kind of coverage of arts, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon<\/a>. And sign up for our free, occasional newsletter<\/a> so that you don’t miss any of our reporting. (All content \u00a9Greg Cook 2023 or the respective creators.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts performs at the Lowell Folk Festival, July 26, 2013. (Greg Cook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts masks in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts masks in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts performs at the Lowell Folk Festival, July 26, 2013. (Greg Cook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask and suit in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts mask in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts masks and suits in \u201cEl Carnaval Contin\u00faa” at the Essex Art Center, Lawrence. (Mariana Martins photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asociacion
Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts perform at the “How To Fix The World Fest” in Somerville, June 18, 2017. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than a decade ago, Stelvyn Mirabal, the founder of the Lawrence group Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts, told me some of the anti-colonial symbolism of the ruffled suits and monstrous, fanged, papier-mache masks of the traditional Dominican \u201cdiablos cojuelos\u201d (limping devils) in his troupe. \u201cThe natives used to do a mockery on the Spaniards,\u201d he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100,111,102,119],"tags":[1040,1045,1049,1042],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23007"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23007"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23392,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23007\/revisions\/23392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}