Barranquilla's Carnival

This is the most beautiful celebration (For myself) in my country.
Native from Barranquilla I most to say it, because I'm proud of it and have seen and felt dancing energy, colors, music and spending a great season with friends and family.

It all begins with "La lectura del bando", and from that moment 4 days full of dancing and folklore all over the city, groups of them get prepared to the schedule:

I'm going to give to you an introduction to the main Carnival Attractions so you can see all the beauty that is hidden inside my culture. Names will be in Spanish cause they can not be translated to English, it wouldn't be correct.

On January the 20_st every year, the carnival's celebrations on Barranquilla (Colombia), Caribbean city, on Magdalena river outlet, starts with this lecture a mandate for carnival in which the Queen chosen with this occasion, decrees the Happiness Empire in all the city. More words, less of them, this is the text for the declaration (Translated to English):

Me, The Carnaval's Queen,for all the salt of my party people, demand and order in my festival mandate:

Be named to "La Arenosa", today January the 20_st , a free land and clear zone from apathy and stress how is demanded by the carnival emergency state; today, tomorrow and later on.

From this date and now on, I order a folkloric curfew for those run that I catch you days so the the standing up in drinks take over the open doors bars city until Conquer Tuesday, with the cumbia's rhythm, porros, puyas, mapalés, gaitas y merecumbés.

[Due to cultural expressions present on the proclamation the following can not being translated into English, to further listen and admire go to the video]
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Party starts with dancing groups, a total of 98 in two different presentation styles: Fantasy and Popular Tradition, in which group by group goes showing their best dancing qualities as they are the Carnival's actors.

All groups that get listed into The Dancing Groups Party participate for a 60% of their total qualification. The remaining 40%, Tradition style will get it in the presentation for the Great Parade on Carnival Sunday; and Fantasy Style will get it on Fantasy Parade Monday.

An awesome show, in which public can appreciate in closeup view the on-scene play of all Carnival's essence and cultural legacy.

An especial presentation for Cumbia dacing groups, different dancing styles, colors and dressings, choreographs, music compositions.

Cumbia is folkloric dance from Colombia, with influences from Panamá.

In the center we find dancers letting their selves take away from the drums hits to achieve such beautiful performance on this joyful and traditional parade.