Please enjoy this DigThatCrazyFarOutPlanetMan tour of the various fireworks displays in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. Here is a description of some aspects of the Mexican culture towards fireworks, thanks to DoDi on the T.T. Mexico forum. Mexico has the coolest fireworks... but they are different. They happen at just about every fiesta. Here's what I've seen many times in typical Oaxaca fiestas del pueblo... first a calendra dance through the streets lead by 'danzante' dancers leaping in front with paper mache globes on long sticks and big monos - giant human puppets with swinging wooden hands that playfully slap inattentive boys or who try to grab the ladies for a kiss, then the banda musicians always with a big tuba and bass drum and sometimes with traditional flutes playing wonderful lively music... and at each stop on the way they play 'la diana'... at which point the long double line of senoritas dance the calendra. The senoritas carry baskets full of flowers and the image of a saint on their head, and the whole basket is wired for fireworks... there are also men who carry the bulls, the turkeys, and other fantastic creatures on poles that are woven of cariso (a kind of bamboo) and that are also wired for fireworks. They continue on through the barrios until reaching the front of the church. At this point the first girl whirls into the center and this time her canasta is lit... fireworks fly from the top of her head and the ones called 'busca pies' even fly into the watching crowd of celebrants. Then each girl takes her turn dancing sola as the sun has now set and it's dark so that the blasting noise and fiery scene is incredible to see. Sometimes the banda music changes over to chirimira flutes and tambor if there are the older musicians who remember how to play them. The masters can make a simple wood flute wail and jump enough to make John Coltrane sit up and listen. Then the senores come two by two with a toro and then a pair of guajalotes, on and on... as the firework masters, who made the pyrotechnicos and are watching from the side light each one by turn with a cigarette. Someone charged with the task passes a bottle of mescal around among them, and this probably helps the nervousness since they are hoping all goes well and each of their creations carefully wired in intricate and timed precision to set each incendiary off (first the tail, then the back then the legs, then the head... designed to whirl first and then fly up or across)... the ultimate moment is the CASTILLO. This is a construction that is very high, it has wheels and wings and things that will change in shape (as the fire climbs up it and sets off fireworks one after the other). At the end there's a starlike planet or crown that shoots off the top and high high in the sky... BANG!
Fireworks are also set off at the moment the host is consecrated at Mass. Also in the street in front of homes where a wedding pachanga is taking place to announce the arrival of the padrinos, the arrival of the groom's family, and every other interval where some momentous event occurs (even the arrival of the ice cream!). These fireworks are big bamboo wheels that shoot off rockets. |
