Parranda in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico

Yesterday was a wonderful day. We invited by a good friend who is active in a local Parranda in San Sebastian called Los Nietos de Papa or Grandchildren of the Father, to join in and follow the group. At Christmas time, many towns host these large semi-professional groups of musicians and costumed dancers as they make their way from house to house on large trucks. The groups are followed by a small caravan of cars and some smaller trucks with advertising. Traffic is blocked and at one point we could hear at least three parrandas moving around San Sebastian. The groups stop at homes to which they are invited and play a set complete with joyous and sometimes frenzied dancing. The group of musicians and caravaners is feted along with the neighbors with refreshments and light snacks. The progression of playing and singing continues well into the night. For this particular day, the Parranda finished its day at a local amusement park and entertained about 5,000 people!



Our day began early with a stop at the organizing point. Here all of the dancers gathered and the group was fed well... Typically the day begins with an asopao (thick soup) but today we were served another Christmas staple, lechon (roasted pork). After a benediction and dedication to this year's parranda, the players, dancers and followers mounted up and began the progression.

While these large parrandas play a particular variety of music and the show is top notch, the concept of the parranda and the playing of live music by small groups of local musicians is alive at all levels of play and performance. At a family gathering, a couple of family members may take out their insruments and play the favorites... or a small group of friends may play at one of the hundreds of holiday parties. Though it is without the benefit of a large sound truck and dancers... the same spirit of joy and love of music and place are present.

Parranda Dancers

Having arrived at our first stop, the trucks found parking on the side yard of the large private house. Parrandas visit homes of the ill and infirm as well as those in private residences and commercial businesses who pay the parranda for stopping and playing. At the "paying" stops food and drink are provided for all participants. As we were still being dogged by rain showers (which is very unusual for this time of the year), the dancers deployed in the huge covered space under the house and got to it. Each parranda will have a theme and distinctive name. Our parranda has a religious sub-theme with some of the outfits decorated with religious iconography. A member is both invited to participate and then will pay to support the parranda. Our parranda was all male although some others are mixed. The picture above is of a locally famous dancer... with great moves.



Parrandas also may have children participate. The child's fee is paid just like the adults and the youngsters participate along with the others.

Parranding isn't "Christmas Caroling "or "Seranading" but its own special experience. With the aguinaldos, seises, and traditional favorites blaring forth from the musicians' truck and loudspeaker, the swirling and brightly dressed dancers, the beverages of all sorts flowing and yummy foods being served, it is an exhilerating and exciting experience. No one can keep still when the music starts and before long, we were all moving to the music!

Parranda in San Sebastian

We were invited today to participate in the caravan of the oldest Parranda in San Sebastian, (a small hill town about 40 minutes north and east of Rincon). Parrandas grew up in Puerto Rico from an earlier tradition of small groups of local musicians, playing traditional handmade instruments going from house to house in their neighborhood or barrio. From morning until the wee hours of the night. everyone sings and drinks and dances and plays together for a succession of days around Christmas and Three Kings day. Our parranda Los Nietos de Papa, (The Grandsons of the Father) was delayed today because of rain... but the rain passed and at about 12:30 p.m., we were off. From the picture above you can get an idea of the size of the basic truck. This one was just for the musicians, and you can see them getting ready to play.



As is tradition, before going everyone was fed... an asopa de pollo (chicken stew), empanadillas, beer and other beverages. The second part of this parranda is the dancers. The fellow above is clearly getting ready for a great day. The dancers go in there own open air flatbed... all decorated with lights and bunting and signs.



The follow up vehicle is an enormous sound truck. This one has a hydrolic lift that can raise the speakers well above a crowd for maximum sound projection. Here it is pictured at our first stop, a private residence about 2 miles distant from the kick-off point. Here we again began with a prayer and a buffet of food and beverages by the residence. After much song and merriment, the three vehicles of the parranda, followed by two trailers carrying advertising signs of the businesses that sponser the parranda, and a host of cars blaze along, with sirens, horns, lights and music, to the next stop. More tomorrow...