Fiesta en la Barceloneta!

Yesterday there were fiesta all over our barri (neighborhood) Barceloneta. It actually started some days ago, with people putting up banners, festoons and flags over the streets, outside restaurants. Then this Friday, we saw some drummers at the streets and they continued through the night (or til I fell asleep). Yesterday morning they started again at 8 o'clock, and groups with people who played drums, trumpets, saxophones, trombones, dancers carrying big artificial axes etc. stoped at the restaurant next to our street and the restaurant on the other side of the house infront of ours.

I, who love this kind of music and events, got all lyrical and I think I got about 15 films on my digital camera! So, I thought I'd share some with you. The pic to the left is just around the corner from our street. Each group stopped outside the restaurants, playing and dancing some, and I think they got beer and food from the restaurants. They then continued to the next restaurant with banners and so it continued.

When we went to the beach at 2pm, they where still druming and dancing from one place to the other. There must have been around 40-50 different groups, all wearing different clothes/costumes. Some consisted of older men in sailor suites, other had guys in Scottish kilts, girls in pink pants, dancing children or old ladies in glitter-tops. They were all carrying something over their shoulders, mostly a big axe, but we also saw broomsticks, huge Chupa Chups, flowers, giutarrs and flags.

So what was the fiesta for? Actually, I don't know! From the banners in Catalá, I got something that they were whishing a good trip and to come home safe, and that the mermaids and waves should be on with them? So maybe, because Barceloneta is the old fishing-district, it was a fiesta for the sailors and fishermen? Anyway, it was fun to watch and the people were so happy (and after some rounds a bit drunk).

This is the first one, around 8 in the morning. The dancing where a bit slower than later that day. We got the music from the restaurant around the corner plus from the one on the other side of the building infront of ours = quite loud!

Most of the groups just passed by on our street without playing, on their way to the next stop. But this group just continued playing :) The ones in the front are the ladies with black and silver glitter tops!

And the last video you get is the one of the guys in some kind of kilt-costume giving it 100% in the start. At the same time, an other group where playing on the other side.

The songs that day varyed from Viva España and typical samba, carneval and football songs to Oh When the Saints and YMCA.

Anyone here in Spain knowing what the fiesta was for?