CARNIVAL 2008

First procession of the carnival 2008 in Santiago

The procession was characterized by colored folklore and the talent of its participants

People of Cibao, mainly the inhabitants of Santiago made yesterday a break during the Serie del Caribe which takes place for the first time in this city, and they occupied the central avenue Las Carreras to attend the first procession of the carnival « Santiago 2008 ».

Although the Committee of Festivities and Customs of Santiago, organizer of the activity, officially fixed at 3 pm the beginning of the procession, from 01 pm, people started to gather in the sector del Monumento and on Las Carreras avenue.

The traditional groups « Los Lechones de los Pepines and Los Lechones de la Joya », which always maintained a competition to attract the public with the their disguises and beautiful costumes and color masks, succeeded in leaving on one side their quarrels to make a satire of the teams of Las Águilas Cibaeñas and of Los Tigres del Licey, the two teams of Dominican baseball who make everyone fanatic and which cause great emotions when they clash on the play-ground.

But as in Dominican Republic, at any time of the year the policy and the ball are present, the politicians benefited from the great quantity of people who filled the streets to enjoy the carnival to promote their parties and their candidates, just like some organized or individual groups who were imitated with words and gestures some of the candidates.

They also emphasized in the carnival procession, the enthusiasm of the Dominicans for the Serie del Caribe and some groups imitated the nervous competitions of Las Águilas and Los Tigres to which the Dominicans are used to, by strongly drawing the attention of the public.

Many tourists, who currently visit the city to attend the matches of the Serie del Caribe, preferred not to attend the play for the first day of competition between El Licey and Los Tigres of Aragua of Venezuela and preferred to enjoy the Carnival.

This last attracted many visitors and much of them expressed themselves on the local television channel which transmits the Carnival, to speak in praise of the natural beauties of the Dominican Republic, the architectural structures of the historical center of Santiago, the majority of colonial style, as well as of the climate and hospitality of the Dominicans.

Provincias Dominicanas, 04.02.08

An unforgettable celebration of the carnival of Santiago

Hundreds of traditional figures, « lechones joyeros« and « pepineros » , troupes, floats, « robagallinas » and a deployment of colors, rhythms and splendours

It is what was lived this Sunday February 24 all along Las Carreras Avenue for the great closing of the Procession of the Carnival of Santiago 2008.

Early in the afternoon, the groups of « lechones » , with their magic colors and their impossible sounds, compounds with the enthusiasm of the various troupes, gave life to the closing of the Carnival in the « Ciudad Corazón » .

The procession started at 04:00 pm and was directed by the queen of the carnival Virginia Disla Tejada, the vice-reine Cleopatra Acevedo and the princess Ana Vásquez.

In a creative way and with much of imagination, children, young people and adults joined the festivities during which the cultural events and the spontaneous expressions of the people did not cease its exhibitions in this Sunday afternoon.

The Governorship of Santiago, the United Means of Cibao (Medios Unidos del Cibao (MUCI), the Town city of Santiago, Amet, the Civil Defense and the national army worked together in the organization of the procession.

The procession counted with more than 200 groups of « lechones » and troupes, individual figures, a fragment of « La Grande Gala de Carnaval » produced by Víctor Erarte, as well as with a representation of a known group of pom-pom girls of the close island Puerto Rico.

The awaited presentation of final closing left from the República Argentina and Las Carreras avenues to the « Monumento has los Héroes of Restauración » and culminated in the avenue Antonio Guzman, old street General López.

The Dominican national brewery and its Presidente name offered to the end a large musical spectacle with the « tipico" band of Nixon Román and the " Mayimbe » $varFernan do Villalona.

All the details of the celebration were live retransmitted through Teleuniverso Canal 29, Telemedios Dominicanos Canal 25, Super TV 55, Teleunión Canal 16, Megavisión, and Canal 43 channels.

Al Momento, 25.02.08

Lechones: The lechones carry masks representing heads of pig with 2 immense smooth horns, while the horns of Pepines are grafted with small points.