Parrandas

Parrandas are a traditional carnival-like street party with origins date back to the 18th century. They take place in northern and central cities of the former Las Villas province (now divided into Villa Clara, Sancti-Spiritus and Ciego de Avila provinces) in Cuba, they also form part of Puerto Rican culture. Most famous parrandas are celebrated in Remedios colonial city where these festivities were originated. Second most popular are celebrated in Camajuani, followed in popularity by Vueltas, Zulueta, Chambas, Guayos, El Santo, Taguayabon, Buenavista, Calabazar, Zaza del Medio, Falcon and many more small town of this central region of Cuba. In Puerto Rico, parrandas or asaltos are musical festivities in the Christmas season holidays.

Testimonies place the Parrandas with structure of events similar to what is today as far as 1875. This includes both districts rumba, the plaza works (light and fireworks structures), the firework competition and float display.

By the 19th century the noisy children had developed into people’s rumba with rhythm, music and verses (usually instigating the other district). The first instruments used in the rumba were cencerro, bombo, repique, and one special local drum called “atambora”. Later, tumbadoras were added and in the 1930s trumpets made the final addition.

Even when the entire party is celebrated under a competition mood actually is a friendly display of two districts that separate each northern town in Villa Clara province.

First event: Around 10:00 pm the district in charge of the first display of the night announces his first rumba with a “palenque”; palenques are fireworks designed in such a way that once airborne they are almost soundless making them “invisible” among the ambient noise, they explode with a huge bang a few meters over taking by surprise the people gathered in town. Immediately after this the rumba starts with the purpose to "drag" as many dancers from the people while they sign their polka. Once the first district is finish the other one makes its entrance as well. This is repeated several times until the next event. Second Event: In Remedios city the second event is the lighting of the Plaza works, in the rest of the cities is the Float lighting. Floats are huge architectural structures filled with colors, light bulbs and fantasy décor hauled by a tractor. They have a theme each year and the characters on them have over the top fantasized outfits. In most of the towns these characters should keep still like statues, they are not allowed to move while the float is moving forward and the legend is read to the public, failing to do so will demerit the district. In Taguayabon on the contrary while the legend is read the characters perform as in a theater play. But this behavior is rather new and been consider “un-tasty” and against the tradition in the nearby locations.

...
Wikipedia