Buenos Aires Herald, 11 febrero 2001
Around Buenos Aires
A militant for fun
By Kevin Fooster
For The Herald
Coco Romero is serious about fun. Officially speaking, Coco sists at a desk under a sing that reads “Popular Culture” at the Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center. That means he is responsible for propagating local traditions suchs as circus, mime, graffiti painting and, closest to his heart, the peculiar Argentine Carnival celebrations called “murga”. But thast´s only officially: Coco is really, as he says, “a militant for fun”.
At this time of year, Coco´s thoughts are on Carnival which began this week with celebrations around the city. Sadly, these they were up until even the 1970s when Carnival was a national holiday and Buenos Aires erupted in play.
But play was not one of the objectives of the military dictatorship of the military dictatorship of the 1970s and they prohibited Carnival celebrations in 1976. Is was the final blow to a tradition which daded back to the slave celebrations of Colonial days.
Coco has vivid eyes above a small but expressive mouth. He leaves the nails on his rigth hand long, the tell-tale sign of a guitar player. He was born in Salta. He says that what interests him are the “spaces of feeling of the community”. For him, Carnival was the time when Argentines had fun. He wants to see them have fun again.
Traditionally, costumed groups marched through their neighborhoods banging drums. The different groups wolud gather around the city in processions watched by masivve crowds. The streets of the city broke out in good-natured warfare: where in later years the street warriors used water balloons, in earlier times, they used buckets or, worse, cow bladders filled with water.
Coco got through Argentina’s dark years playing music. Since public celebrations were discouraged, he and his friends gathered in the houses of friends. From under his cheerfulness, sparks of hard, intense feeling show through. Like many Argentines of his generation, he wants his innocense back. Unlike many, he knows how he will do it.
Coco has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to bringing Carnival back to Argentina. He publishes “El Corsito” a small newspaper which celebrates and promotes the Carnival tradition. He travels across Argentina to document the different local traditions. He has a band “Coco Romero y La Brillante” (roughly, “Coco Romero and the Shining Jewel”). Most of all, he wants people to have fun the way he remembers having fun as a child.}”Let the kids play again!” he says.
Please send your thoughts to kevin_footer_responses@hotmail.com
At this time of year, Coco´s thoughts are on Carnival which began this week with celebrations around the city. Sadly, these they were up until even the 1970s when Carnival was a national holiday and Buenos Aires erupted in play.
But play was not one of the objectives of the military dictatorship of the military dictatorship of the 1970s and they prohibited Carnival celebrations in 1976. Is was the final blow to a tradition which daded back to the slave celebrations of Colonial days.
Coco has vivid eyes above a small but expressive mouth. He leaves the nails on his rigth hand long, the tell-tale sign of a guitar player. He was born in Salta. He says that what interests him are the “spaces of feeling of the community”. For him, Carnival was the time when Argentines had fun. He wants to see them have fun again.
Traditionally, costumed groups marched through their neighborhoods banging drums. The different groups wolud gather around the city in processions watched by masivve crowds. The streets of the city broke out in good-natured warfare: where in later years the street warriors used water balloons, in earlier times, they used buckets or, worse, cow bladders filled with water.
Coco got through Argentina’s dark years playing music. Since public celebrations were discouraged, he and his friends gathered in the houses of friends. From under his cheerfulness, sparks of hard, intense feeling show through. Like many Argentines of his generation, he wants his innocense back. Unlike many, he knows how he will do it.
Coco has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to bringing Carnival back to Argentina. He publishes “El Corsito” a small newspaper which celebrates and promotes the Carnival tradition. He travels across Argentina to document the different local traditions. He has a band “Coco Romero y La Brillante” (roughly, “Coco Romero and the Shining Jewel”). Most of all, he wants people to have fun the way he remembers having fun as a child.}”Let the kids play again!” he says.
Please send your thoughts to kevin_footer_responses@hotmail.com
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario