© 2008 Armando Salas.---------"PELIQUEIROS". Colored pencils on paper. 42 X 59 cm.---- A HIGH-RESOLUTION FILE IS AVAILABLE IN MY PRIVATE GALLERY.--- KEYWORD: ARMANDO.--------- This one is the most complex and difficult drawing I made lately. I'm truly tired.------ ENTROIDO ("Carnival" in Galician language) - The most antique carnival of Europe. The origins of the Galician Entroido has long been debated. The events date back to pre-Christian times. Some have related the celebration to ceremonies the ancient Romans would perform for the god, Saturn. Today it is strongly Christian. Each year, in February or March, major cities in each region began the festivities. There are similarities and differences in each regions celebrations. People from the different villages surrounding the city come together to eat the freshly cured jamon from the recent matanzas. There is often a procession through the cities. Representatives from each of the area villages will follow each other down the streets, playing a percussion rhythm that identifies their town. Children and adults dress in costume for this event. The kind of costume, and the behavior of the character, varies from region to region. These characters usually dance through the crowd hauntingly, trying to scare the bystanders. The characters include the Cigarróns, Pantallas, Peliqueiros, Xenerais, and Correos. The Xenerais are known for their singing, and often go door to door. The Peliqueiros carry whips and are recognizable for their large and ornate masks, representing different animals such as a cow, donkey, or rooster. You can also expect to find different kinds of performances, including satires of things that had happened over the previous year. Peliqueiros really portrait the POWER and the abuses. On Entroido (=carnival) people cannot touch peliqueiros nor call them by their name in real life; it's forbidden. If someone blocks their route, peliqueiros use those whips (supposed they are careful but not sure after I saw the video :-)---------- To see more videos about this subject, please search (youtube) for CIGARRON, ENTROIDO, LAZA or PELIQUEIRO.

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