The carnival season is a significant celebration in several South American countries, though how the festival is observed varies significantly from country to country.
In Uruguay, comparsas (groups of dancers and drummers) perform candombe during the carnival season. Candombe is a traditional musical experience strongly tied to the music and dance forms enslaved Africans brought to Uruguay.
The Uruguay Carnival is considered the biggest carnival celebration in the capital city of Montevideo. The event features cultural events, such as dance parades in the streets. Enslaved people were allowed a day to honor their cultural identity around the middle of the 18th century. The lively drum-based music known as Candombe was played during these events. Even after the enslaved people gained their freedom, the parties persisted. Eventually, the candombe style assimilated into the already-present traditional Uruguayan music. The result of this musical fusion was a blending of Uruguayan and African rhythms.
Montevideo has the most elaborate carnival celebrations, with parades and cultural events lasting 40 days between January and February, making it the world’s most extended carnival celebration. Dancers take to the streets in colourful, over-the-top dresses to celebrate well into the early morning.
Murgas, or drumming musical theatre, are also popular at Uruguayan carnivals. They usually perform parodies based on current events as they move through the city streets.