If there is one famous carnival in the world, Cadiz Carnival is one on top of the lists. Everyone in the city participate the carnival for 15 days and more every year. They always look forward to this event and they are usually making rigid preparations like rehearsals, recitals, and arranged contests.
Due to the characteristics the people in Cadiz expresses, foreigners are highly welcomed even if they are not so familiar with speaking Spanish. On a particular day, everyone in the city wears costumes that relates to “the most polemical aspects of the news”. Generally, people who participate in the Carnival ends up knowing the rich culture Cadiz citizens are celebrating.
One of the highlights of Cadiz Carnival is the performance of the famous “satirical” performers known as chirigotas. Usually, their music and lyrics are the center of the carnival. They are well-known for their sharp singing about politics, current events, and any other circumstances that happened within their premises.
Officially, the competition is held in Teatro Falla, where several of them are competing for a group award. They usually sing in the city streets and squares, outdoor staircases or portals, and even on open tableaux organized by the carnival clubs themselves.
Another carnival groups in Cadiz are the large groups famously known as choirs. They usually travel on clusters riding on their flat-bed carts and wagons wherein they perform by singing accompanied by guitars and lutes. One of their famous compositions is the “Carnival Tango”.
Aside from the two mentioned, the comparsas are the ones who choose poetic lyrics and criticisms as their performance. Another group is the quartets who don’t bring guitar for a performance, but a kazoo and two sticks instead in marking their rhythm. Lastly, the minimalist group called romanceros is the oldest and the most invariant carnival presenters during the carnival presentation. These groups perform humorous verses while pointing at aspects of the pictures and drawings with a long stick.
Would you like to witness these carnival groups in Cadiz for yourself? Why won’t you travel to Cadiz and see how wonderful the Cadiz Carnival is!


