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Post by rikita on Feb 8, 2010 1:44:13 GMT
Okay, it is late again, but if I don't start today, I will never start. I will take my time building up the thread though. About the carnival (according to their website and german wikipedia): The Carnival of Cultures (Karneval der Kulturen) takes place in Berlin every year at pentecost weekend, since 1996. The idea was to organize a big multi-cultural event, to celebrate the different cultures living in Berlin, to contribute to the contact between these cultures, to work against xenophobia and the fear of the "different", and to display cultural diversity in a colourful, peaceful and tolerant way. Since 1996, the number of visitors has risen so much, that it is a huge event now. The Carnival is organized by the "Werkstatt der Kulturen" (Workshop of cultures) that has been founded in 1993 in Neukölln (the area of Berlin where I live). This "Workshop" is organizing a lot of artistic projects and various events, and is a kind of platform for dialogue between people from different cultures. Berlin has the highest number of foreigners in Germany, about 450.000 according to the carnival's website. The idea behind the carnival is that almost all cultures in the world have some type of "carnevalesque" elements, costumes, masques and dances are of importance everywhere in the world. Even in cultures without a specific carneval a parade in the streets is often found. With the idea of this carnival, the initiators wanted to participate in the emergence of newer carnivals in Europe (like the Notting Hill Carnival in London and the Zomercarnaval in Rotterdam), but wanted to widen the idea in emphasizing on the multicultural element. It is a possibility for immigrants and for various local projects to present their culture, show pride in their traditions, and show that they are part of the city's culture. Some numbers: In 1996 the carnival only took two days (one party, and one parade), there were 2.200 participants in the carnival and 50.000 watched or visited. One year later it already took three days, 2.700 participated and 340.000 watched - that year the tradition of a street festival (with stages with live music and various food stalls) started as well as the tradition of an additional "children's carnival". 1998 the visitors reached half a million, in 2000 there were 1.1 million (600.000 of which visited the parade, 500.000 the street festival), and 4.200 participated in the parade and 700 at the street festival. Highest number was in 2004 with 1.8 million visitors (900.000 parade, 900.000 street festival). Last year, 700.000 visited the parade and 750.000 the street festival - and 4.700 participated in the parade and 900 at the street festival. (the ones participating at the street festival means the artists and musicians that get on the stages there I think).
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Post by lola on Feb 8, 2010 4:03:05 GMT
Gorgeous, rikita. Thanks so much.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2010 4:42:30 GMT
Very interesting, but I can't help thinking that one of the reasons for the success is all of the "mail order brides" brought back to Europe by some of the German men. There would not be so much Thai culture in Germany without that, would there?
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 8, 2010 4:57:07 GMT
And I can't help thinking that the significance of choosing Pentecost is because it will probably be warm for the carnival. So very colorful and interesting! Your photography is just super. I love the one with the girls in green ......... all of them, really. Why, you could even say they look like Post Cards!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2010 10:24:14 GMT
These are wonderful Rikita,very reminiscent of our Mardi Gras here. Thanks for this. Love your photos,excellent!
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Post by spindrift on Feb 8, 2010 11:56:11 GMT
I am enjoying looking at your beautiful photographs, Rikita. I love getting a glimpse of national costumes and the shapes of different peoples' faces. I look forward to seeing more pictures. Thanks.
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Post by rikita on Feb 8, 2010 23:14:42 GMT
Kerouac - I don't know, it is possible some of them are - but I don't think that is all of them. But then, I have never seen statistics of how many Thai people come here to marry and how many come for other reasons...
Anyway, the above photos were from a few years ago actually, now I will post some more from last year...
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Post by rikita on Feb 8, 2010 23:28:32 GMT
One of the things I like to do during the carnival, is going to the area where the parade starts. It is just around the corner from my house, and there is a whole big street just reserved for all the dancers to hang out and prepare before it is their turn. There, I can't only see people practice their dances, and have enough space to approach them and photograph them, but I can also see nice little side-scenes, like this mother and her child, who belonged to a group that "dressed up" in mud (some of them looked like clay figures). The child seemed completely oblivious to the sound of loud drums and music around it, just enjoying the chance to play with some mud. farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/4290561542_bb99086f66.jpg[/img] Here, the athmosphere is often quite relaxed. The parade can get very exhausting some friends of mine who participated told me. But those thoughts are still far away, at this place people still just enjoy to dance, to chat, or to smoke a last cigarette before they have to get going. The whole journey of the parade is about 3 Kilometers long and takes a few hours. The first groups starts at noon, I usually miss that one, because I always leave the house too late. But there are still lots of groups to look at - the last one never manages to leave before four or five in the afternoon. It is also fun to watch the mix of cultures there - of course there are groups that consist mainly of people of a different "exotic" culture, and groups that represent some cultural projects that doesn't have so much to do with immigrant culture per se (like some sport's clubs or sometimes even a whole small town from the surroundings, or a music club might participate in the parade), but a lot of groups are also mixed - for example, with people who were born in a different country, people whose parents are from a different country, and people who are German but just are interested in that country's culture. I like that there usually aren't any borders set. If you like something, you can try it out...
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Post by rikita on Feb 9, 2010 23:15:28 GMT
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Post by bjd on Feb 10, 2010 10:36:47 GMT
I like your pictures, Rikita. Do you have to belong to an association or group to participate or can anyone join in?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2010 11:03:50 GMT
I know exactly what you are talking about with regards to going to where the parade/festivities line up etc. This is one of our favorite things to do here during Carnival. We set out early just to be able to see all,hear the marching bands line up and tune up.... One year,a former parade of days gone by,used to line up right on our block. To be able to walk out of the house to hear one of the best marching bands in the city in front of my house,was the coolest thing I remember about living here.
Your photos are fabulous Rikita. I am so enjoying this thread! Thank you!
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 10, 2010 18:14:38 GMT
Rikita, this is like going to a photography gallery ~~ SUCH quality! The commentary is great, too, and that's something we wouldn't get at a gallery. I just love the way you use black&white. That photo of the Red Queen followed by the African drummer, with every detail on his clothing picked out in such crisp detail, then the perfect composition of the looming skeleton and Death .... whew, you are really good!
In reply#7, is there supposed to be a photo of the mud mother & child?
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Post by auntieannie on Feb 10, 2010 18:16:13 GMT
love that!
My heart beats in tune with the rythm of the drums when I watch a parade go by. Does yours do the same?
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Post by lola on Feb 10, 2010 23:58:45 GMT
Yes! Great stuff, rikita.
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Post by traveler63 on Feb 11, 2010 0:18:20 GMT
Very, very nice rikita. Your photos are just wonderful, and I love how you put the thread together.
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Post by hwinpp on Feb 11, 2010 2:03:09 GMT
More pics, Rikita.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2010 5:53:16 GMT
The latest series was particularly splendid.
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Post by imec on Feb 11, 2010 20:29:54 GMT
Holy cow!!! Just found this - what gorgeous images rikita!!! The first B&W is my fave - but ALL beautiful. Thank you for these!
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Post by rikita on Feb 11, 2010 22:16:04 GMT
thanks for the praise! i am glad you like the photos (i usually find enough that there still is to improve about my photos though)... it is kind of late again, i hope i manage to post some more in the next days...
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Post by hwinpp on Feb 12, 2010 3:11:10 GMT
What I love about these fests are that usually for every country represented you also get 5 different culinary delights at one of their booths.
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Post by rikita on Feb 13, 2010 20:09:30 GMT
indeed. the bad part is having to decide which ones to try - especially if you can't afford more than one or two. last year i found a place that had cevice though. mmm.
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Post by rikita on Feb 13, 2010 20:13:02 GMT
Of course, the different groups in the parade don't just present costumes, they also dance. And when you dance, you get thirsty. The athmosphere there were the groups wait for their turn is relaxed - though some groups dance so much there already, they are exhausted when it is their turn to join the parade, others do sit down to take a break. And there is enough space for the people watching to sit down too...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2010 1:08:22 GMT
I've just seen this. How colourful, good shots there Rikita.
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Post by rikita on Feb 16, 2010 20:18:24 GMT
thanks! too tired today, might post some more tomorrow...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2010 21:10:44 GMT
Those first two could have gone in the "color" thread of the image bank!
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 17, 2010 4:14:16 GMT
Rikita, I just love how you group your pictures. My eyeballs thank you for this saturation of color and hugely pleasing composition.
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Post by rikita on Feb 17, 2010 16:17:16 GMT
Here are some more... The grouping is actually coincidence, I just put them up in the order I took them... Of course I am not the only one photographing people. I have a bit of a thing though, to photograph people that are posing for someone else. SOmehow i feel it gives a portrait a more "natural" air if they aren't looking directly at me... It is amazing how much work some of the groups put into their costumes, their dances, their cars... And at the same time I suppose it is a good opportunity to keep costumes - like traditional clothing or dances - because you have an opportunity to display them... Each year since 1999 prices are given to the three best groups, the best cars, etc. - while at first the brazilian and other latin american groups were clearly dominating the winners, it has become more diversed. In 2006, for example, the group "Thai Smile" won first prize.
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Post by rikita on Feb 19, 2010 19:16:30 GMT
No idea where this group is from, but I do like their costumes...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2010 19:33:41 GMT
I really like how serious they look about what they are doing.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 19, 2010 19:48:25 GMT
Just gorgeous! I would kill for some of that indigo batik. I think those people are Hmong. According to this Wiki article there is variation in the type of embroidery among different Hmong groups. If you feel like loading a power point presentation, this one shows a skirt very similar to the ones in Rikita's wonderful picture.
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