El 6 de Enero, hicimos un viaje junto con mi amiga Ariane a 22 Kms de Asunción en la ciudad de Capiatá. Ahí cientos de niños en esta fecha acuden hasta el Oratorio del Rey Baltazar vestidos como reyes o reinas, con sus coronitas, capas y chalequitos rojos, típicos del santo. San Baltazar es el protector de los negros, Santo de origen Africano y uno de los Tres Reyes Magos, cuyas fiestas por estas fechas se originan con los primeros africanos libertos en Uruguay, y que luego emigraron hacia el Paraguay junto con Artigas. Los padres traen a sus hijos vestidos así, para agradecer las promesas y luego los niños disfrutan del parque montado detrás del Oratorio. Una celebración que sin dudas no se pierde con el tiempo sino que crece, donde estos mismos niños la continúan hasta la vejez y la legarán a sus hijos o nietos. Mientras en otros lugares del país la tradición es que los Reyes Magos traigan regalos a los niños, éstos niños a su vez le regalan al Santo una vela o una ofrenda, en agradecimiento por haberles brindado salud y trabajo a sus padres. Nuestro recorrido por esta fecha especial termina en otro lugar, la Capilla San Baltazar en Loma Campamento, donde se encuentra la comunidad Afro-paraguaya más grande, en donde reciben la misa por su patrono y luego realizan sus últimos ensayos para la gran fiesta del Kamba Cua el 8 de Enero, en donde también estaré presente. | On 6 January, we took a trip with my friend Ariane, over 22kms from Asunción, to the city of Capiatá. There, hundreds of children in this day come to the Oratorio del Rey Baltazar dressed as kings and queens, with their little crowns, capes and red vest, typical of the saint. San Baltazar is the protector of blacks, Saint with origin in Africa and one of the Three Kings, whose parties at this time originating with the first Africans freed in Uruguay, and then emigrated to Paraguay with Artigas. Parents bring their children dressed like that, to thank the promises and then the children enjoy the park mounted behind the chapel. A celebration that will undoubtedly not be lost over time but grows, where these same children continue to old age and make a legacy to their children or grandchildren. While in other parts of the country's tradition, the Magi bringing gifts to children, these children bring as a gift to the Saint a candle or an offering in gratitude for providing them with health and work to their parents. Our tour of this special day ends in another location, "San Baltazar Chapel" in Loma Campamento, where people of the largest Afro-Paraguayan community live, where they have Mass in honor the patron Saint and then make their final rehearsals for the big party of Kamba Cua on January 8, which also I will be present. |
Front view of the Oratory of Saint Balthazar, in Capiatá. The Oratory was built in the late 30's, but then demolished and rebuilt in the mid 80's.
In addition to the cape and crown, some children bring an offering flowers mounted on a kind of cane, and adorned with a tricolor ribbon.
Despite the heat, the faith of the people is admirable, who raised a little prayer and light candles to the patron saint. The oratory is humble and small, but for a religious people all sacrifice on behalf of appreciation for the good year, has no limits or barriers.
A young man prays to the figure of Saint Balthazar and his daughter deliver the flower as an offering.
In some cases, other children offer his cloak as a present for the Holy.
Parents touch the feet of the figure of Saint Balthazar and then prays, thanking and praying for another year of good health, success and work.
15:33 - This beautiful little girl stared at the ceiling decorations of the chapel looking around with their eyes, while his mother prays to Saint Balthazar.
Other boys or girls, gift leave their crowns. The tradition does not distinguish between male or female, in both cases the young should be dressed as King or Queen, in honor of the Wise Man.
Outside the chapel, a group of girls look at the toys for 2,000 Gs. who were in an old quarry. Today, the day of Three Kings, they also received gifts in their homes, but a child can not help falling into temptation when they see a mountain of toys.
The heat was beginning to overwhelm the environment, but a stall outside the chapel selling cold water and weeds for tereré, was the special element to combat.
17:35 - In the absence of a good police deployment to deal with the traffic at that time, people are on their own to cross the dangerous Route 2.
17:37 - More people come to the chapel to pray and then wait for the Mass of 19:00 hours.
Many selling stores of religious souvenirs and toys are an attractive way of decorating the front of the chapel.
Mrs. Sinforiana of Vega, 64 years old, told me that she follow this tradition since she was a little girl and went into the arms of her mother. Today she had come with her children and grandchildren.
In the courtyard, an elderly couple talk and share a tereré under the shade of a tree, and watching them gave me the feeling of being indifferent to this court and the rest of the world.
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A mother lights a candle and then leave it on the small table mounted as a sanctuary. His son then handed his cloak to the Holy and they will pray.
Children are the joy of the home, they are a blessing. And for Capiatá citizens and other residents of neighboring cities, is proud to dress them in honor of the Sanit and bring them to the chapel to give thanks for favors or to fulfill the promises. The two sides of the coin: a child watched at me closely when he was photographed while his brother slept peacefully in the arms of his aunt.
18:06 - We go in the back of the chapel in the courtyard where they have a small amusement park with games for kids, games for adults and cantina. It is without doubt a long awaited moment for these little ones who already participated of this day in previous years, because they know that after visiting and praying to the saint, their parents bring to games.
Two sisters went through the game with his mother, the smallest was finishing her ice cream while the old one was crying for a toy and doesn't want an ice cream, obviously knew the difference in duration between one thing and another. As children get older it is harder to convince them.
Between the gambling, for the elderly, we had the "Small and Big"(where you bet on numbers smallest from 2 to 6 or biggest from 8 to 12 and the dice are thrown through the hole of the reel, the 7 paid double) and also the "Roulette".
A child throws the ring trying to fall around one of the wooden blocks that have money down. In the center was the block with more money, and being always the most tempting.
And we said goodbye to the park, and the beautiful children that are flooding our country, children who later undoubtedly will be here in many years with their children in the same situation, when maybe we're gone.
18:29 - One of the few young men dressed as King Balthazar that we could find at that time. In the first Mass at 7:30 am, the group of young people and adults with these costumes was higher.
19:47 - The drums of the Kamba Cua lie behind the congregation while receiving Mass in the Chapel.
Chapel sanctuary during Mass, with the image of San Baltazar in the center.
The melting pot of skin colors and shapes is striking, where over the time many ancestors of these people were mingling with Guarani, Spanish, or mestizo. Similarly, the traditions and dances of the Kamba Cua are not lost and from children they are learning and strengthening the bond with their roots.
20:18 - After the Mass, the drums are taken to the courtyard in front of a fire so the leather will get heat and then stretch, thus will not break with the frenetic beats.
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20:37 - In a dimly lit area of the courtyard, begins the busy ring of drums, the dancers almost in a circle starting with the testing of their dances.
Kamba Cua fight for the interests of children in their dances and culture. Here represent an ancient African dance that is still performed in places of that continent, a dance that was used to marry young, where men choose a women and dance in front of her, and thus remain as life partners.
21:05 - And so we bid farewell to the Kamba Cua, who also like in Capiatá, today celebrated the day of its patron Saint Balthazar.
Muchas gracias una vez más por acompañarnos en este viaje, espero que haya valido la pena en materia de informar sobre nuestras tradiciones, nuestras costumbres, nuestra gente. Siempre sostengo que lo más lindo que tenemos en el país, está en el Interior, porque ahí la vida es verdaderamente otra, tienen otros valores y otros objetivos. Para asistir al Festival del Kamba Cua el 8 de enero, uno debe dirigirse por la Avda. Mariscal López, y la entrada es por la Calle Kamba Cua hacia la derecha del Hospital Materno Infantil viniendo desde el Centro hacia San Lorenzo. Las velas y antorchas adornarán dicha calle, hasta el Club 6 de Enero. La entrada costará 15.000 Gs. Nos vemos ahí. | Thank you very much again for joining us on this journey, I hope that was worth reporting on our traditions, our customs, our people. I always maintain that the best that we have in the country, is in the interior, because that life is truly other, they have other values and objectives. To attend the Festival of Kamba Cua on January 8th, one must go through the Avenida Mariscal Lopez, and the entrance is by Kamba Cua Street to the right of Mother and Child Hospital coming from the Downtown to San Lorenzo. Candles and torches adorn this street to the Club January's 6. The ticket will cost 15,000 Gs. See you there. |
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Interesantes datos y hermosas imágenes!!! Sobre todo las de la festividad de San baltazar, considerando que este año es de los afrodescendientes. http://www.oei.es/2011afrodescendientes.php
ResponderEliminarImpecable, como siempre!
ResponderEliminarExcelente Zen!