The Carnaval de la Marina is this Saturday! And preparations are already well on the way to make sure the celebration from 4pm will be a great success! With visitors expected from Santo Domingo, La Romana and Punta Cana, the Marina Casa de Campo are preparing for as many as 2,500 people and have just announced that famous merengue singer Sergio Vargas will be playing the role of “Carnival King”, while Luisa María Ortiz will be the “Carnival Queen”.
The Carnival King and Queen
The title of king and queen of carnival is given to important personalities of society. Their role in the carnival is usually to lead the parade of “comparsas” (carnaval groups) through the streets. Sergio Vargas is a well recognized merengue singer, one of the best in the Dominican Republic, he is also known as “el negrito de villa”, while Luisa María Ortiz is the Provincial Director of Culture for La Romana.
The parade
The parade, scheduled to start at 4pm, will begin on the Paseo del Mar, continue onto the main Marina Avenue, and from there will go around the Calle Barlovento (Barlovento Street), ending at the Plaza Portofino at the heart of the Marina Casa de Campo. Once the parade reaches the Plaza Portofino there will be a closing party with live music. As we have come to expect, the parade will include the most colorful and important characters of the Dominican Carnival such as: los Platanúses, los Tiznaos, los Diablos Cojuelos, los Lechones, las Cachuas, los Súper Toros, los Robalagallina and many more. For non-Casa de Campo villa owners and guests, access to the Casa de Campo resort is being organized by invitations, which are available from the Marina Casa de Campo Administration, as well as at restaurants and other contributors.
In honor of Juan Francisco Vásquez
The 3rd annual Carnaval de la Marina is being celebrated in honor of Juan Francisco Vásquez (Juampa) and “Los Platanuses”. Juan Francisco Vasquez is a designer of Dominican Carnival characters, born in 1961 in Cotuí, known for the creation of characters very popular in Dominican Carnival, such as, “El Hombre con Vaina”, “El Papelú con Alas”, “El Príncipe Africano”. He has also been the face of the Dominican Carnival in an international advertising campaign ran by the of Secretaria de Estado de Turismo.
Los Platanuses are the traditional carnival characters from Cotuí, a town in the North of the Dominican Republic. The Platanuses cover their bodies with dry banana leaves (from plantains – hence the name), and they paint their faces in different colors.
We look forward to seeing you all there, sharing good times, enjoying with the music and the colorful Carnival!
On Saturday the 23rd of February 2013, a traditional “Carnaval Dominicano” took place in the Marina Casa de Campo – which normally admired for it’s beautiful architecture and relaxed ambience akin to the best marina’s of Italy – came to life with all the excitement, vibrant colors, drums, music and festive ambience synonymous with the Dominican Carnival season as experienced in La Romana, Santo Domingo or La Vega.
Spanish
In honor of Juan Francisco Vásquez