This is a photo taken at the Nzinga event at my house last Wednesday: Maria is a 'Mama Vieja', a matriarchal figure who is very important at Carnival time.

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At Carnival (February), dance groups (mostly Afrodescendents from the time of the slaves) perform all over twon, and each group has stock characters: the Mama Vieja, the 'Gramillero' (her partner), and the 'Escobero', a sort of 'sweeper' who carries a broom and is a clown-like figure. They have 'Candombe' bands who perform with them; bands of drummers, beating out a mixture of tradition African rhythms mixed with European, Cuban and Brazilian rhythms