Rockin out at A Candeloria

Carnaval wasn't the only February fun around here. It was actually a jam-packed month, a welcome change from the cold and nearly eventless month of January. A Candeloria brought rockers from all over Galicia and Spain to our dear Lugo for a weekend of good music and Galician traditions. And since my regular concert companion Diego wasn't available the whole weekend, I was forced to import an Asturian rock festival buddy (haha).

Here I'm mocking Diego for wearing
a button-down, when I myself don't look
kinda preppy in a sweater.

Friday's lineup wasn't of much interest to me, although surely the bands were good for people with less picky tastes. They opened with Habelas Hainas, a traditional folk band made of all women. That got me into the dancing mood! Then there were two bands that are kind of hip-hop or techno. They were pretty good, but again not exactly my style. Then a loud hardcore band. Loud as in, we left the concert hall and I could still hear them through my earplugs. By 3 I was feeling pretty tired, so we left. Wish I would've stuck around for NAO, who seem like a good Galician rock band. But hey, at least we got to bed at a decent hour so we could take advantage of Saturday. 

Saturday there was a ¨vermouth session,¨ the Spanish custom of a concert before lunchtime. I was interested in going, if it didn't require walking all the way down to the pavillion and then back. Instead, we took advantage of the wonderfully warm weather and had lunch on a terrace. In February! This is not a drill! We also then checked out Lugo's 2 Roman museums, since last time my concert buddy was around we didn't see many tourist sites. We started heading down to the pavillion area around 7. Earlier in the afternoon there was a tavern song competetion, and I think we caught the last part of it. Terrific ambiance: people squished into bars with bands (tambourine and bagpipe) singing traditional Galician tunes. Delightful! And when the lights went out, everyone cheered. The party doesn't stop! 

The accordionist of Os Diplomáticos

At 9 began the concert my friend had been waiting 10 years for (según dijo): Os Diplomáticos de Monte Alto. Hard to describe their style...very Galician, lively, punk, funny. And they have an accordion player! Since my friend is a huge fan, we were in the front row. And despite the fact that he isn't Galician, he knew all of the lyrics which he sang while jumping for joy and basically having a meltdown. (Understandable--I would have reacted the same way if it were my favorite band) I was able to sing along with one song too...¨Gaiteiro.¨ Another guy next to us was also a huge fan, so they bonded, holding each other while jumping and serenading one another. It was a sight to be seen! The singer also got us all chanting: Trae tatuado toda a ronda da Muralla. Lugo! Lévote dentro! Lugo pride! It's safe to say Os Diplomáticos gave the most exciting concert of the night. 

Next came the hardcore punk band SA, which is too much for me. And that's when the power for the stage went out. Uh oh. So we were waiting around for quite a while. I would have been open to leaving if I weren't waiting for El Último Ke Zierre to play. I'm not their biggest fan, but they played a few songs I could sing along to. They're a good Spanish punk band. Coincidentally, I was standing right next to one of my students from the first year. It was cool that he knew who I was haha. Afterwards, I was ready to go home. I mean, it was 3, we had been there since 9, and I was exhausted. I didn't even have my siesta! By obligation we stuck around for a few songs of Zenzar. It was pretty good, and I'm sure I would've been into it if only I had the energy. All in all, A Candeloria brought a rockin' time to Lugo, which hopefully is equally fun next year!

Galician Carnival: Peliqueiro and Pantalla Sighting!

Now that it's Good Friday, I think I can properly write about the funnest part of winter: Carnaval/Entroido...40 days after the fact.

On Friday I went out with the girls. This year there was no group costume, unfortunately. I went as Pipi Calzaslargas (re: Pippi Longstockings) and was quite pleased with my outfit. I reused last year's red wig and only needed to buy the long stockings. Budget- and eco-friendly! It was not at all a wild night. I guess we're getting too old for that. Or just too tired. It's ok, I needed to save my energy for more Carnaval fun.

A few days later, with my other friends we went to the towns of Ourense where Carnaval is a big deal: Xinzo de Limia, Laza, and Verín. I accepted my fate once more of not actually getting to see the traditionally-clad revelers, since the schedule didn't include it. Foiled again! But, wait, we actually DID get to see them. Both the peliqueiros of Laza and the pantallas of Xinzo de Limia. OMG! (I swear, my birthday celebrations get continually better).

We started off in Verín, a bit before noon. But it was pretty empty so we headed to Laza. It's a little village that comes to life during Carnaval. They maintain old traditions (whose origins must be intriguing) such as mudslinging, ant throwing, and whacking with bushes, in addition to their local Entroido character: os peliqueiros. We arrived to the small, deserted plaza only to find the remnants of the previous mudfight: mud all over the ground, along with some scattered rags used to sling said mud. There were really only 3 bars in town, which wisely had covered their floors with sawdust. We went into one for some sandwiches and beers to wait for the next festivities. The place was packed, with a lively atmosphere. There was even a bagpiper and singer and a few people danced, squished into the square meter of open space. We also noticed other foreigners there, having a gay old time. Not much of a hidden secret now, is it? But good for you, Galician towns!

After an hour or two, it got less congested as people went outside, so we went down to the plaza to check it out. Around us were plenty of people, but few people were wearing costumes. Most were, however, wearing jumpsuits in preparation for the ants. Some people were even smart enough to duct tape their pants to their legs to avoid getting ants in their pants haha. As we were all waiting around for the action to start, we heard the dongdong of an approaching bell. The peliqueiros!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! People quickly made a path for them, since they run back and forth swinging a stick. Look out! Seriously, if you get in their way they will hit you. Hard. From my side of the path I was able to dodge them every round. Not actually running off was about as dangerous as I get. They did hit my friend though and her mouth bled a bit! That was enough excitement for us, and we left before the ants made an appearance. They were taking forever, anyways. But traditionally they aggravate the ants by putting vinegar on them and then they throw them into the crowd. Then, others walk around with parts of bushes and whack people with them. Although I wish we had gotten to see it, I'm also grateful I didn't have to suffer haha. Also, on the way back to the car, there was a peliqueiro on his own so I got a picture! Aw, yeah! The creepiest part of them I think is their painted on smiles. So they are mercilessly beating someone with a smile on their faces. Maniacal.

At our final stop, Xinzo de Limia, the sun was already setting. There were plenty of people around, this time everyone was dressed up, so we fit in. The pantallas have a totally different vibe. They carry around inflated pig bladders and dance through the street, jingling (smaller bells than the peliqueiros). They don't hit you with the bladders, but smack them together to make a BOOM sound. Also, there were a few little kids dressed as pantallas--adorable! So we enjoyed the fun ambiance and then headed home. But don't think we went to bed. No, no, no! After all it was Entroido!! We had dinner and headed out for a night on the town. After seeing so many costumes in Ourense, Lugo's Carnival was a bit disappointing. I mean, a lot of people were dressed up, but perhaps just as many went without a costume. Lame! We made our own fun though.

This year I also went to Lugo's parade of costumes for the first time. See, even after 3 years there are still Carnival traditions to discover! The costumes were super impressive. I liked that a few of the individual costumes were made from recycled things. And they were all so elaborate. I'm glad we never signed up for the contest without seeing the competition because, madre mía, all of the costumes were so well-done! One group of at least 20 people went as the Lion King. Disney should hire them to go on tour because it was AMAZING! They had all the animals and the costumes were just like in the play. I can't imagine how 2017 will outdo this year's Carnival.