- Title: Pepino the Cucumber gets Bolivians into carnival groove
- Date: 21st January 2024
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JANUARY 21, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SANTA CRUZ CARNIVAL QUEEN, AITANA TUFINO, KISSING PEPINO IN HIS COFFIN / PEPINO LEAVING COFFIN VARIOUS OF DANCERS PERFORMING TRADITIONAL CH’UTAS DANCE CHOLITAS DANCING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PEPINO, RAFAEL BUTRON, SAYING: “We are starting the 2024 carnival of the Tata Santiago group. Long live La Paz carnival!” VARIOUS CHOLITAS MOURNING PEPINO SO HE’LL WAKE UP CROSS REVELLERS CARRYING PEPINO INSIDE HIS COFFIN DURING PROCESSION PEPINO PEEKING OUTSIDE HIS COFFIN REVELLERS WATCHING PROCESSION VARIOUS OF PEPINO SENDING KISSES TO REVELLERS REVELLERS WALKING ALONGISDE PEPINO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DANCER, ALICIA ALFARO, SAYING: “We are happy we unearthed the Pepino. Let the carnival happiness begin, bringing the best in all of us.” VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT. AUTHORITIES, DANCERS AND REVELLERS DANCING
- Embargoed: 4th February 2024 20:05
- Keywords: Bolivia Pepino carnival festivites religion
- Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: South America / Central America,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001411221012024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: La Paz carnival kicked off on Sunday (January 21) as revellers walked alongside a bright red and golden coffin, waiting for Pepino the Clown to come back to life.
Representing the spirit of carnival, the clownlike figure of Pepino, or cucumber in Spanish, struggles to escape the casket's confines, but can't. Dozens of dancers follow the casket, asking the spirit of carnival to come back to life, until the playful figure responds, and joyfully starts performing traditional dances.
This year, Pepino was resurrected after being kissed by the Santa Cruz Carnival Queen, marking the official start of the city's Paceno Carnival. This was followed by the traditional Chu’tas dance.
While much smaller than Rio's famed, flamboyant carnival, the festivities in Bolivia are replete with colour, dance and music and attract thousands of tourists who want to witness the unique fusion of indigenous traditions with whimsy and colonial Catholicism.
(Production: Santiago Limachi, Monica Machicao, Nina Lopez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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