Muixeranga
Encyclopedia
The Muixeranga is the collective name given to the performance of ancient street dance
s and human
castle
s, originating in the Valencian Community
, which are still preserved in the town of Algemesí
, 30 km southwest from Valencia
.
The muixeranga is much more than an art
istic acrobatic
dance
. It is a collection of ancient human choreographies
of enormous plasticity illustrating various figures and shapes, which are held during the Algemesí town festival (September 7 and 8th), in honor of the so-called Virgin of Health (Mare de Déu de la Salut).
The Muixeranga resembles the modern castellers in many ways, the latter being spread all over Catalonia
. Both traditions share the same origin, the Moixiganga, once found throughout the Iberian Peninsula
. Muixeranga differs from castellers mainly in that the Muixeranga has a more religious background, is accompanied by a dance, and does not care too much about the height of the human towers, trying to find a plastic, figurative scene.
, but preferably of strength and physical skill. Nowadays, around 200 men participate in the plastic figures, but historically there were not more than thirty. There is a master, or conductor, which coordinates the dance and the human castles, towers and other figures, as well as admitting and training new people.
The clothes
are idiosyncratic in many ways. They are composed of a shirt
, trousers
, farmer's shoe
s and sometimes a special hat
. The fabric is coloured with vertical red
and blue
stripes on a white
base, like a harlequin
. It seems that this strange appearance is unintentional. Older people can still remember that they were once made from old mattress fabric.
word mochain, meaning "mask
". A second theory links it with ancient processions held on the streets to commemorate some special event.
Even though the tradition in the Iberian Peninsula
may date back to the thirteenth century, the first written record of the muixeranga in Algemesí
can be traced to the first third of the eighteenth century. However, its constant, strong presence suggests a much older origin.
If we rely on references, the first solemn celebrations of the Virgin of Health happened in 1724, so this is the earliest that the muixeranga could be linked to this celebration. However, the first concrete date comes from the town account book in the year 1733, when the dulzaina
players employed in the festival were given an annual stipend.
of tabalet (a drum
) and dolçaina
(a kind of very loud flute
), with a very old characteristic tune
, of unknown author.
Some people struggling for the recovery of the Valencian culture and its language, such as Joan Fuster
, have vindicated the music of the Muixeranga as an anthem
for the Valencian Community
and also for the whole Països Catalans.
Street dance
Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...
s and human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s, originating in the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, which are still preserved in the town of Algemesí
Algemesí
Algemesí is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain.The town of Algemesí is one of the major centres for the production of citruses in Spain, and several cooperatives are based there...
, 30 km southwest from Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
.
The muixeranga is much more than an art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
istic acrobatic
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
. It is a collection of ancient human choreographies
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
of enormous plasticity illustrating various figures and shapes, which are held during the Algemesí town festival (September 7 and 8th), in honor of the so-called Virgin of Health (Mare de Déu de la Salut).
The Muixeranga resembles the modern castellers in many ways, the latter being spread all over Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. Both traditions share the same origin, the Moixiganga, once found throughout the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. Muixeranga differs from castellers mainly in that the Muixeranga has a more religious background, is accompanied by a dance, and does not care too much about the height of the human towers, trying to find a plastic, figurative scene.
Characteristics
The people composing the castles are usually a group of men, of virtually any professionProfession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
, but preferably of strength and physical skill. Nowadays, around 200 men participate in the plastic figures, but historically there were not more than thirty. There is a master, or conductor, which coordinates the dance and the human castles, towers and other figures, as well as admitting and training new people.
The clothes
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
are idiosyncratic in many ways. They are composed of a shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
, trousers
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
, farmer's shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
s and sometimes a special hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
. The fabric is coloured with vertical red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
and blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
stripes on a white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
base, like a harlequin
Harlequin
Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
. It seems that this strange appearance is unintentional. Older people can still remember that they were once made from old mattress fabric.
Origin and Evolution
There are several theories on the origin of muixeranga, especially in relation to its name. The first theory advocates that the word comes from the ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word mochain, meaning "mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
". A second theory links it with ancient processions held on the streets to commemorate some special event.
Even though the tradition in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
may date back to the thirteenth century, the first written record of the muixeranga in Algemesí
Algemesí
Algemesí is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain.The town of Algemesí is one of the major centres for the production of citruses in Spain, and several cooperatives are based there...
can be traced to the first third of the eighteenth century. However, its constant, strong presence suggests a much older origin.
If we rely on references, the first solemn celebrations of the Virgin of Health happened in 1724, so this is the earliest that the muixeranga could be linked to this celebration. However, the first concrete date comes from the town account book in the year 1733, when the dulzaina
Dulzaina
The dulzaina or dolçaina is a Spanish double reed instrument in the oboe family. It has a conical shape and is the equivalent of the Breton bombarde....
players employed in the festival were given an annual stipend.
Music and symbology
The dance is accompanied by the musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of tabalet (a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
) and dolçaina
Dulzaina
The dulzaina or dolçaina is a Spanish double reed instrument in the oboe family. It has a conical shape and is the equivalent of the Breton bombarde....
(a kind of very loud flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
), with a very old characteristic tune
Tune
Tune may refer to:* A melody* A tune-family* A tune , a short piece of instrumental music, usually with repeating sections, and often played a number of times* British slang term, often said when referring to a piece of music that is enjoyed...
, of unknown author.
Some people struggling for the recovery of the Valencian culture and its language, such as Joan Fuster
Joan Fuster
Joan Fuster i Ortells was a Valencian writer, who published mostly in Catalan.- Life and works :He was born in the village of Sueca near Valencia, Spain, in a relatively prosperous middle class family. Both his parents were pious Roman Catholics and Carlists. His father was a renowned local...
, have vindicated the music of the Muixeranga as an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
for the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
and also for the whole Països Catalans.
External links
- Non-official web of the Muixeranga (part of the information of this article has been extracted from this web, with permission)
- Nova Muixeranga from Algemesí