While everyone else off a year and received from December to January, in Santiago de Cuba the calendar seems to follow different rules and bow to the overwhelming momentum of the most important festival of the province, and according to experts The most notorious of the country.

Here, the Mayor or Rumbón Santiaguero Carnival marks the daily life of the people who prepare their piggy, adjust the holidays and family visits, to enjoy, like no other time of year, one of the most authentic expressions of popular culture.

For Yolanda Bravo, specialist Carnival Museum, the answer to that behavior seems to be on the very concept of fun, at its mass character, which reaches across the city.

"That is why a high level of participation is achieved," says Bravo and explains that "is not limited only to the area of ​​the parade, such as the Havana Carnival Remedy or partying, but people go on street parade to represent their neighborhood but also to interact, to share food, drink, dancing, areas with live or recorded music is full of people, people of the province but also from other parts of the country. "

Popular and socially is really the Santiago carnival, celebrations or party daubs, an important holiday in the city And from the historical point of view?

Its origins are dating from the same time the town of Santiago de Cuba was founded in 1515 because the processions were held in honor of the patron saint, St. James, are the seeds of what later became known as Carnival.

In addition, is the setting has appreciated, along history, the main contributions and influence of foreign cultures, Cuban and Santiago. For example, they are African, Spanish, Chinese, French, among others.

The result of this intermingling, is an original product, and conga is an example of this, it touches very own.

Groups are also carriers, owners of a vast raigal culture, such as the Cabildo Carabalí Olugo, the Cabildo Carabalí Izuama, and Tahona, along with the congas and rides.

Congas, for example, they have the rhythmic patterns of the councils and the French graves, to which joined other cultural influences, to derive genuine product, born of spontaneity.

What artistic expressions emerge during the carnival?