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Carnival music instruments
Haiti
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Video Excerpt
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In Haiti, the carnival is a fluid and expressive acoustic
space similar to theatre that links the entire social space to the festival.
Carnival time is a time for letting go. It marks the end of winter and celebrates
the return of life. Known as lalwadi or rara, the carnival is
celebrated in February and coincides with Mardi Gras. It is the peasants' carnival,
and the nature of the festivities in this agricultural society correspond to the
celebration of spring, rather than to the ritual of Holy Week, although there are
some religious elements. The carnival is pure entertainment in which the characters
that people dress up as and the costumes they wear participate in the production of
a satire on social, political and economic life. A variety of dances are performed
at the carnival. They are accompanied by drums and vaccines, to which brass
instruments, whistles and various percussion instruments are added.
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