Chirigotas (by Fulgencio)

Today I would like to write about one of the most funny shows you can watch on the stage: a carnival chirigota (Cadiz style).

A carnival chirigota is a performance composed by a mixture of humour, lyrics, music, disguises and comedy stand up as a way of social critic and entertainment. It is like to explain the world from the point of view of the character that comedian is disguised. Although the word chirigota has a wide meaning, the term is commonly accepted to referred to a famous and very popular Cadiz carnival show.

Technically, a chirigota -Cadiz style- is adapted to a pattern in instruments and kind of themes. Traditionally a group uses one to three guitars, -rhythm and plucking- , kazoos, and, as a percussion instrument, a drum, and a bass drum with cymbal.

Repertoire is made up of a Presentation, several Pasodobles and Cuplés with original music and a Potpourri as the ending part. In Presentation the group uses a popular song to adapt lyrics to introduce why they have chosen a particular disguise and characters, everything in showed in a funny and humorous style. Later, Pasodobles start reflecting and critizing –seriously or with a little bit of humour- certain social or political aspects. After Pasodobles it is the turn for Cuplés, the funniest part of the show, they are compositions with the goal of making laugh. The show ends with the Potpourri changing lyrics of famous songs in order to create an atmosphere of exhilaration in the audience.

Chirigotas spread out of Cadiz too. In Murcia, “La Chirigota de Molina de Segura” offers an opportunity to appreciate this kind of performance no far from your home.

Regardless of comparisons, this group has a long career on a stage, so they have been performing for eight years since their first spectacle in 2002 with the show “Los Hermanos de Dinio” characterized as brother of a tabloid celebrity. After that they appeared with “Los Pole Position” (2003), disguised as racing drivers. A year later they were “Los Missmisimos” ridiculing the catwalk word. In 2004, pretending to be athletes in the Open Ceremony of Olympic Games, played with the name of “Los Que Pasan Olímpicamente”. Subsequent performances were: “Las Que Van a Servir” (tennis women players) in 2006 and “Los Que Se Comen Todas Las Hostias” (first Communion children) in 2007 and last year they were on the stage with the name “Las Que Se Van de Vientre” characterized as belly dancers.

Although my opinion is not neutral, because of being one of the performers, I recommend to watch the show “Vísteme Despacio” during the next season 2008-09,
in the end, fifteen people will have been working for pulling your laugh out.