Viva Carnaval!

We acknowledge that many Carnaval traditions of Latin America and the Carribbean are of African and Indigenous origins.  In the face of colonialism, Carnaval became an outlet for cultural expression and the creation of new syncretic traditions.  There are inherent complexities of representing Carnaval traditions so far from their places of origin, especially when many of the communities where these traditions come from continue to expereince discrimation and poverty.   With Viva Carnaval we are trying to conveying the joy, beauty, and community spirit which symbolize Carnaval for people here, there, and everywhere.

This sentiment is beautifully conveyed by these words from Brazilian academic, Luiz Antonio Simas. 

“Num mundo cada vez mais individualista, o Carnaval assusta porque afronta a decadência da vida em grupo, reaviva laços contrários à diluição comunitária, fortalece pertencimentos e sociabilidades e cria redes de proteção nas frestas do desencanto.”

“In an increasingly individualistic world, Carnival is astounding because it affirms the decadence of group life, revives bonds that are diluted by individualism, strengthens belonging, and creates protection networks in the cracks of society inhabited by the disenfranchised.”