Time for the Souletin mascarade

The mascarade is a carnival festival from the province of Soule which combines both dance and theatre. Although the rural exodus put a stop to this practice for may years, its recent revival bears witness to its vitality thanks to the local population which has managed to combine both tradition and modernity.

There are two groups:

• The Reds: Elegantly dressed and whose most famous character is zamalzain (half-man, half-horse) with dances which require great skill. They represent the nobility.
• The Blacks: More bawdy, wilder, dancing more violently, sometimes even obscene. They represent the poor and challenge the Reds.

The mascarade is open to everyone. This can be seen in the fact that members of the inviting village may also perform in the invited mascarade. They may take part by dancing: if the inviting village is a village of dancers, they respond to the invited dancers, doing so at each barricade. At the end of the mascarade, the entire village, both young and old alike, join the actors to dance "Moneiñak" in the square.

Further details:

• Video library: video of the mascarade's first performance in 2009 in Barcus
• Find out more about the mascarade
• List of mascarades: every Sunday from January to April