By The Vancouver Sun
MEXICO - For most of the year, the Paseo Olas Altas is a relatively peaceful place to stroll and enjoy Mazatlan's legendary sunsets. At Carnaval time, though, this beachside thoroughfare is transformed into a partiers-only promenade. A jovial river of humanity flows down the boulevard past stands dispensing food and beer. On elevated stages, Latin and rock groups compete for attention, and scantily clad dancers gyrate the night away.
Carnaval is traditionally held during the week before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for Mexico's mostly Catholic population. Mazatlan's carnival attracts more than 400,000 visitors, making it the third largest celebration of its kind in the Americas. Only the annual carnivals in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans can boast bigger crowds. In addition to all-night parties, Carnaval features parades, concerts, food fairs, literary events, and even a mock naval battle using fireworks instead of cannons.
The carnival kicks off in earnest with the crowning of the King of Joy and the Jugos Florales or "Floral Games" during which a Flower Queen is chosen and awards are given to writers who have penned the best "flowery poems."
Highlight of the week's festivities is the coronation of the Carnaval Queen in Mazatlan's baseball stadium on Saturday night. This gala occasion always includes performances by well known Mexican and international musical artists, along with cameo appearances by former carnival queens.
More pagan than Christian, Carnaval is thought to have its roots in both European and indigenous cultures. Mazatlan's earliest carnival celebrations were unruly affairs during which citizens pelted each other and unsuspecting travellers with hollow eggshells stuffed with flour, dyes, and ashes.
There were even nasty rock-throwing confrontations between rival gangs of workers. Mazatlan's first organized Carnaval was held in 1898 after city leaders got together and decided to replace the violence with more civilized activities such as bicycle parades and costume balls.
According to local historians, people used to arrive in Mazatlan from Mexico and abroad in carriages, by boat, and even on the backs of burros to participate in the city's first carnivals. Initially Ugly Kings or Buffons of Carnaval were chosen rather than beauty queens. The first carnival queen, an American named Wilfrida Framer, was crowned in 1900. She reportedly made a triumphant entrance into town in a streetcar pulled by mules. With her was an entourage that included escorts, various "ministers of joy," and the members of an operatic company.
One holdover from the city's early carnivals is the Quema del Mal Humor or "Burning of Bad Humour." This therapeutic ritual involves the hanging and incineration of a cardboard likeness of a politician or some other official chosen to take the blame for misfortunes that have beset Mazatlan's citizens during the previous year. Officially tried and sentenced to death a few days earlier, Mal Humour is paraded through the streets of Old Mazatlan on a cart to Paseo Olas Altas where he is set on fire to the delight of everyone watching.
A mock Naval Combat takes place after the Burning of Bad Humour. This impressive fireworks display marks the successful defense of Mazatlan from the attacking French warship La Cordeliere in 1864 during the French-Mexican war. Hordes of revelers jam the shores of Olas Altas Bay and rooftops to enjoy the spectacle. Ships anchored off in the darkness of the Pacific Ocean fire volleys of fireworks towards the Old Port, while onshore batteries respond in kind. Spotlights and laser beams also duel in the night sky accompanied by the booms of exploding rockets and dramatic music.
Afterwards, the action moves inland to the Plazuela Machado in Old Mazatlan. Restaurants in historic buildings surrounding this compact plaza quickly fill up with hungry customers and echo with the bittersweet strains of Mariachi music well into the early hours of the morning.
The plaza and surrounding streets buzz with activity as troops of dancers, mimes, and buskers of all kinds entertain the milling crowds. Plazuela Machado also hosts a gastronomic fair on Carnaval nights with Mazatan's famous shrimp and other seafood delicacies on the menu.
The restored neoclassical Teatro Angela Peralta around the corner from the Plazuela Machado is used for some of Carnaval's social and artistic functions. This handsome opera house dates back to the late 1900's when OldMazatlan was in its heyday. Its plush interior is adorned with marble statues, elegant woodwork, loges, and sumptuous red velvet curtains. A museum on the theatre's upper floor contains historic black and white photographs plus displays chronicling the building's history and various stages of reconstruction.
Also worth exploring during daylight hours are two museums near the Plazuela Machado that highlight very different periods of Mazatlan's past. A handsome 19th-century mansion across from the plaza has been turned into the Museo Casa Machado. Its high vaulted ceilings and rooms full of antique furniture offer glimpses of what life was like among Mazatlan's upper classes. A few blocks west, the small Museo de Arqueologia harbours collections of ceramic sculptures and other artifacts documenting the area's nomadic pre-Hispanic cultures.
No carnival would be complete without a parade, and Mazatlan's has two: one before the Carnival Queen's coronation and another on the final day of Carnaval. These processions stretch as far as the eye can see along Avenida del Mar, the wide boulevard that hugs the coastline from Old Mazatlan to the touristy Zona Dorada or "Golden Zone." Dozens of imaginatively decorated floats interspersed with marching bands from around the state of Sinaloa file past the enthusiastic onlookers.
The whimsical floats can depict scenes borrowed from ancient myths to Broadway musicals, or they can carry live jazz and rock groups. Some floats highlight the carnival's theme, which changes each year. The newly crowned Carnival Queen sits atop one of the most elaborate floats in the final parade and waves to the crowds from her throne. All in all, this joyful pageant makes a fitting end to Carnaval, and it reinforces Mazatlan's reputation as a city that really knows how to throw a party.
John Mitchell is a Vancouver writer and photographer
Carnaval is traditionally held during the week before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for Mexico's mostly Catholic population. Mazatlan's carnival attracts more than 400,000 visitors, making it the third largest celebration of its kind in the Americas. Only the annual carnivals in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans can boast bigger crowds. In addition to all-night parties, Carnaval features parades, concerts, food fairs, literary events, and even a mock naval battle using fireworks instead of cannons.
The carnival kicks off in earnest with the crowning of the King of Joy and the Jugos Florales or "Floral Games" during which a Flower Queen is chosen and awards are given to writers who have penned the best "flowery poems."
Highlight of the week's festivities is the coronation of the Carnaval Queen in Mazatlan's baseball stadium on Saturday night. This gala occasion always includes performances by well known Mexican and international musical artists, along with cameo appearances by former carnival queens.
More pagan than Christian, Carnaval is thought to have its roots in both European and indigenous cultures. Mazatlan's earliest carnival celebrations were unruly affairs during which citizens pelted each other and unsuspecting travellers with hollow eggshells stuffed with flour, dyes, and ashes.
There were even nasty rock-throwing confrontations between rival gangs of workers. Mazatlan's first organized Carnaval was held in 1898 after city leaders got together and decided to replace the violence with more civilized activities such as bicycle parades and costume balls.
According to local historians, people used to arrive in Mazatlan from Mexico and abroad in carriages, by boat, and even on the backs of burros to participate in the city's first carnivals. Initially Ugly Kings or Buffons of Carnaval were chosen rather than beauty queens. The first carnival queen, an American named Wilfrida Framer, was crowned in 1900. She reportedly made a triumphant entrance into town in a streetcar pulled by mules. With her was an entourage that included escorts, various "ministers of joy," and the members of an operatic company.
One holdover from the city's early carnivals is the Quema del Mal Humor or "Burning of Bad Humour." This therapeutic ritual involves the hanging and incineration of a cardboard likeness of a politician or some other official chosen to take the blame for misfortunes that have beset Mazatlan's citizens during the previous year. Officially tried and sentenced to death a few days earlier, Mal Humour is paraded through the streets of Old Mazatlan on a cart to Paseo Olas Altas where he is set on fire to the delight of everyone watching.
Afterwards, the action moves inland to the Plazuela Machado in Old Mazatlan. Restaurants in historic buildings surrounding this compact plaza quickly fill up with hungry customers and echo with the bittersweet strains of Mariachi music well into the early hours of the morning.
The plaza and surrounding streets buzz with activity as troops of dancers, mimes, and buskers of all kinds entertain the milling crowds. Plazuela Machado also hosts a gastronomic fair on Carnaval nights with Mazatan's famous shrimp and other seafood delicacies on the menu.
The restored neoclassical Teatro Angela Peralta around the corner from the Plazuela Machado is used for some of Carnaval's social and artistic functions. This handsome opera house dates back to the late 1900's when OldMazatlan was in its heyday. Its plush interior is adorned with marble statues, elegant woodwork, loges, and sumptuous red velvet curtains. A museum on the theatre's upper floor contains historic black and white photographs plus displays chronicling the building's history and various stages of reconstruction.
Also worth exploring during daylight hours are two museums near the Plazuela Machado that highlight very different periods of Mazatlan's past. A handsome 19th-century mansion across from the plaza has been turned into the Museo Casa Machado. Its high vaulted ceilings and rooms full of antique furniture offer glimpses of what life was like among Mazatlan's upper classes. A few blocks west, the small Museo de Arqueologia harbours collections of ceramic sculptures and other artifacts documenting the area's nomadic pre-Hispanic cultures.
No carnival would be complete without a parade, and Mazatlan's has two: one before the Carnival Queen's coronation and another on the final day of Carnaval. These processions stretch as far as the eye can see along Avenida del Mar, the wide boulevard that hugs the coastline from Old Mazatlan to the touristy Zona Dorada or "Golden Zone." Dozens of imaginatively decorated floats interspersed with marching bands from around the state of Sinaloa file past the enthusiastic onlookers.
The whimsical floats can depict scenes borrowed from ancient myths to Broadway musicals, or they can carry live jazz and rock groups. Some floats highlight the carnival's theme, which changes each year. The newly crowned Carnival Queen sits atop one of the most elaborate floats in the final parade and waves to the crowds from her throne. All in all, this joyful pageant makes a fitting end to Carnaval, and it reinforces Mazatlan's reputation as a city that really knows how to throw a party.
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