- Mojiganga
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For other uses, see Mojiganga (band) and Mojiganga (reggaetoneros).
Mojiganga is a Spanish entertainment form of theatrical performance that mixes the entremés, dance and music. It comes from the "boxiganga" of the 17th Century, from the Spanish popular culture and from the medieval theater. Chroniclers, like Father Bartolomé de las Casas, referred to the mojiganga as missionary theater which objective was to evangelize.
According to Hugo A. Rennert, the word was used to name the street theater composed by roving actors and by the entremés that played along this performances (Hugo A. Rennert, The Spanish Stage at the Time of Lope de Vega, New York:Dover, 1963, 295-6). In Hispanic America, a derivation of the word was used in 1637 to name a street dance performed during the carnavals, in which the pantomime was more important than the dialogue, and performed by actors that portrayed animals.
Even today there's a show in Algemesí, Spain called muixeranga that features music, dance, traditional costumes and human castles.
Mojigangas
Mojiganga de la Muerte ("Mojiganga of Death") by Pedro Calderón de la Barca.
La garapiña by Pedro Calderón de la Barca.
A la diestra de Dios Padre ("At the Right Hand of God the Father") mojiganga based on a short story by Colombian author Tomás Carrasquilla version by Enrique Buenaventura
In México the tradition of mojigangas is still alive. There are many towns in the several regions of the country where this kind of representation are very popular. Zacualpan de Amilpas (two hours driving to the south from Mexico City)is a little town with a strong tradition of mojigangas representation. The Comparsa Falfán is a group that work in the area for more than forty years.
See also
External links
Categories:- Spanish folklore
- Theatre stubs
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