The Vejigantes

Dublin Core

Title

The Vejigantes

Subject

Vejigantes

Description

Describes the origins, characteristics and celebrations of the Puerto Rican folkloric tradition of "Los Vejigantes", a character associated with the music of bomba and plena.

Creator

Nicole Wines

Date

2009

Rights

© Raíces Cultural Center

Format

jpeg

Language

en

Type

Text

Identifier

EFMI_bomba_y_plena_vegigantes_Infosheet_2009.jpg

Coverage

Puerto Rico

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

A vejigante is a clown-like character who appears in festival celebrations of Puerto Rico. Traditional colors of the Vejigantes were black, red, and yellow. Today, vejigantes wear brightly colored, ornate masks (máscaras) of all colors and a costume with bat-like wings. The word vejigante comes from the words vejiga (bladder) and gigante (giant), due to the custom of blowing up and painting cow bladders. Bystanders are often tapped with the bladders during the processional. The masks are often linked to many festivals that continue today, especially in the cities of Loíza and Ponce.

Original Format

paper

Files

EFMI_bomba_y_plena_vejigantes_Infosheet_2009.jpg

Citation

Nicole Wines, “The Vejigantes,” Raíces Cultural Center Digital Archive, accessed March 28, 2024, https://archive.raicesculturalcenter.org/items/show/3.

Output Formats