What is the marimonda in the Barranquilla carnival?

Who is who

The characters

• la reina del carnaval the queen, chosen a year earlier
• el Rey Momo King Momo, who represents joy
• Joselito Carnaval the puppet who is the festival, buried on Tuesday
• las viudas the widows: men and women in black who mourn him

Costumes and dances

• la marimonda a mask with big ears and a long nose like a trunk — Invented by a poor man to mock the rich; its noise is a raspberry.
• el congo danced with flower hats and a wooden machete — Of African origin, says UNESCO.
• el garabato death chases the dancers and is defeated by life
• el paloteo a stick dance of Spanish origin — Named in UNESCO's listing.

The music

• la cumbia the predominant genre, with variants like puya and porro
• el mapalé a fast drum dance
• las bandas de viento brass bands from the river villages
• la tambora y el alegre the drums, with maracas and claves — Instruments named by UNESCO.

• The most famous costume is the marimonda, a mask with big ears and a long trunk-like nose; the congo is danced with flower hats and a wooden machete, and in the garabato death chases the dancers.
• UNESCO names dances of the Americas (mico y micas), of Africa (the congo) and of Spain (the paloteo); cumbia is the predominant music, with variants such as puya and porro, played by drum ensembles or wind bands.

El disfraz más famoso es la marimonda: una máscara con orejas grandes y una nariz larga como una trompa.

The most famous costume is the marimonda: a mask with big ears and a long nose like a trunk.

La música es cumbia, mapalé y porro, y la tocan bandas de viento que vienen de los pueblos del río.

The music is cumbia, mapalé and porro, and it is played by brass bands that come from the river villages.