MassKara: Celebration of 30 years of smiles, Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental, Philippines
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Bacolod City’s MassKara Festival is celebrating 30 years of smiles this month, this time with a dramatic fusion of public art and street entertainment.
The MassKara Festival is a week-long festival held each year in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the city's Charter Anniversary.
“We are going to unveil a major work of art at the Bacolod public plaza in the evening of October 14 that is our vision of what the MassKara street dancing should evolve into,” says festival director Eli Tajanlangit.
Atop a 30-foot trailer will be giant, moving papier-mache figures in vivid colors and dancers dressed as clowns—a mix of circus art and street entertainment.
Smoke around the trailer will create the illusion that the performers are on a floating platform, Tajanlangit said.
The figures are being created by a group of city artists led by multi-awarded painter Charlie Co.
Oct. 14 spectacle
“We are inviting Bacolod’s choreographers and barangay captains to watch the Oct. 14 spectacle to influence the MassKara street dancing of the future,” Tajanlangit said.
The envisioned dazzler will be multidimensional choreographed numbers, instead of field demonstration-like performances.
Highlight of the festival is the afternoon street dancing competition among performers at the plaza, and the Electric MassKara night parties along Lacson Street.
In the evening of Oct. 15, the Lacson tourism strip will be shut down for two hours to give residents and their guests a preview of the parties and to showcase the work unveiled the previous day.
MassKara Queen
The MassKara Queen contest will be held at the University of Saint La Salle gymnasium on Oct. 15.
The first MassKara ledge dancing competition will be held the next day on Lacson Street. Eight groups will perform on top of five 40-foot trailers. At night, a MassKara Fantasy costume tilt will be held.
On Oct. 17, the Ipanema drum beaters will snake down the strip and invite the spectators to join them down the strip.
The Ipanema is inspired by the Conga line, a Latin American carnival march that was first developed in Cuba and became popular in the United States in the 1930s and 1950s.
“We hope it will become an institutionalized activity for the MassKara because we are trying to develop the festival into a giant street party to allow visitors to participate,” Tajanlangit said.
Charter Day
On Oct. 18, bands will perform at the plaza, the tourism strip and the New Government Center, culminating with a countdown to midnight to usher in the city’s Charter Day celebration.
Eleven school groups will join the regular MassKara street dancing competitions on Oct. 15, 24 barangay groups will perform on Oct 17, and the open category groups on Oct. 18.
“We are developing the MassKara into a light, airy cheerful and fun-filled festival,” Tajanlangit said. This will give visitors good memories of what it’s all about, he said.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the festival had evolved into the city’s top tourist attraction, economic stimulant and icon. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20091009-229239/MassKara-Celebration-of-30-years-of-smiles
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Bacolod City’s MassKara Festival is celebrating 30 years of smiles this month, this time with a dramatic fusion of public art and street entertainment.
The MassKara Festival is a week-long festival held each year in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the city's Charter Anniversary.
“We are going to unveil a major work of art at the Bacolod public plaza in the evening of October 14 that is our vision of what the MassKara street dancing should evolve into,” says festival director Eli Tajanlangit.
Atop a 30-foot trailer will be giant, moving papier-mache figures in vivid colors and dancers dressed as clowns—a mix of circus art and street entertainment.
Smoke around the trailer will create the illusion that the performers are on a floating platform, Tajanlangit said.
The figures are being created by a group of city artists led by multi-awarded painter Charlie Co.
Oct. 14 spectacle
“We are inviting Bacolod’s choreographers and barangay captains to watch the Oct. 14 spectacle to influence the MassKara street dancing of the future,” Tajanlangit said.
The envisioned dazzler will be multidimensional choreographed numbers, instead of field demonstration-like performances.
Highlight of the festival is the afternoon street dancing competition among performers at the plaza, and the Electric MassKara night parties along Lacson Street.
In the evening of Oct. 15, the Lacson tourism strip will be shut down for two hours to give residents and their guests a preview of the parties and to showcase the work unveiled the previous day.
MassKara Queen
The MassKara Queen contest will be held at the University of Saint La Salle gymnasium on Oct. 15.
The first MassKara ledge dancing competition will be held the next day on Lacson Street. Eight groups will perform on top of five 40-foot trailers. At night, a MassKara Fantasy costume tilt will be held.
On Oct. 17, the Ipanema drum beaters will snake down the strip and invite the spectators to join them down the strip.
The Ipanema is inspired by the Conga line, a Latin American carnival march that was first developed in Cuba and became popular in the United States in the 1930s and 1950s.
“We hope it will become an institutionalized activity for the MassKara because we are trying to develop the festival into a giant street party to allow visitors to participate,” Tajanlangit said.
Charter Day
On Oct. 18, bands will perform at the plaza, the tourism strip and the New Government Center, culminating with a countdown to midnight to usher in the city’s Charter Day celebration.
Eleven school groups will join the regular MassKara street dancing competitions on Oct. 15, 24 barangay groups will perform on Oct 17, and the open category groups on Oct. 18.
“We are developing the MassKara into a light, airy cheerful and fun-filled festival,” Tajanlangit said. This will give visitors good memories of what it’s all about, he said.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the festival had evolved into the city’s top tourist attraction, economic stimulant and icon. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20091009-229239/MassKara-Celebration-of-30-years-of-smiles
