honorable mention
Francisco Gonzalez Camacho united kingdom
title
Parrandas de Camajuani, Cuba
They are part of the Cuban folklore with almost 200 years of history however they have been only covered by local photographers but not foreigners. My last visit was a chance to explore this carnival-street party concretely in Camajuani, a small town of Villa Clara. I photographed the energy, the parades, the fireworks and the people from this municipality and other parts of the country who get really immersed in this peculiar event as is part of the Cuban idiosyncrasy. It takes place in different parts of Cuba, been the most popular Parrandas in Remedios, where these festivities were originated followed by many others in small towns around Cuba.
My main interest is to come back and keep shooting around this subject, especially in Remedios.
currently based in Cardiff, Wales. He is currently studying
Documentary Photography in the University of South Wales.
His practice can be denominated as Contemporary Social
Documentary Photography which focus in small stories,
social issues and community-based projects.
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entry description
In my previous trip to Cuba I had the chance to witness the usual photographic misrepresentation and stereotypical vision of the country that is usually done by photographers from the outside. The focus usually goes on pointing how is a place that seems to have stopped in time: the nostalgic aesthetic aura of the buildings, the cars, the colors, the paradisiacal beaches, etc. However, the Cuban heritage is quite rich with some festivities going back to 19th century, such as Las Parrandas. In 1820, as the story goes, a young priest noticed diminished attendance at mass from December 16 until Christmas. Hoping to attract parishioners, he instructed children to go out into the streets with cans, horns, bugles, rattles or any kind of noisemaker, hoping that the raucous noise would attract churchgoers. As the tradition evolved, organized bands began playing music in the streets, competing with each other in order to get the best performance. The idea then spread throughout the country.They are part of the Cuban folklore with almost 200 years of history however they have been only covered by local photographers but not foreigners. My last visit was a chance to explore this carnival-street party concretely in Camajuani, a small town of Villa Clara. I photographed the energy, the parades, the fireworks and the people from this municipality and other parts of the country who get really immersed in this peculiar event as is part of the Cuban idiosyncrasy. It takes place in different parts of Cuba, been the most popular Parrandas in Remedios, where these festivities were originated followed by many others in small towns around Cuba.
My main interest is to come back and keep shooting around this subject, especially in Remedios.
about the photographer
Francisco Gonzalez Camacho is a Spanish photographercurrently based in Cardiff, Wales. He is currently studying
Documentary Photography in the University of South Wales.
His practice can be denominated as Contemporary Social
Documentary Photography which focus in small stories,
social issues and community-based projects.
back to gallery