Carnival events in Latin America - Anelise

Prior to this week, I had not read a lot about the Carnival in Bahia or any other Latin American carnivals. It was very educational. I was amazed at all the similarities between the film and the article. The Carnival in Bahia was definitely emblematic of other Latin America carnival events. In both there was definitely the symbolic use of music, costumes, dance, rituals, and religion. It was also interesting how the festivals seem to be composed of one large group which is then subdivided into a bunch of smaller groups. In the article, the two festivals that are described in detail are the 24th Street Culture Festival and the Cinco de Mayo festival - both located in San Francisco. The Cinco de Mayo celebration was originally a Mexican event; however, it had been reorganized as a Latin American event - bringing the whole Latin American community together. Additionally, it was interesting to see how the African elements of Latin American heritage are portrayed in both the film and the article. I was unaware of the negative way some Latin Americans view the African roots in their heritage. From both the film and the article, it is evident that it is common for Latin American carnival events to be concurrent displays of culture - both different and similar - all within a unifying foundation.