These dancing manifestations date back to the beginning
of the 19 th Century when colonial authorities allowed the
slaves to hold The Three Wise Men celebrations. With
the emergence of these gatherings from different African
nations it was possible to get acquainted with their customs,
songs and dances, as well as with their typical musical instruments. As
a result of the integration process of these groups to the
Cuban society, this carnival tradition was preserved in different
neighborhoods of the capital with the participation of people
in general. The Comparsas were organized during
Republican times: these were different groups who danced
from their neighborhoods to downtown and were evaluated by
a jury who selected the best ones. Later on, these
groups improved their organization and started dancing in
rows with their own choreography. The Comparsa is
a figurative dramatic dance along the streets displaying
a collective choreography performed with drums and repeated
chants by a choir called Conga :
name given to this kind of music, mainly rhythmic and repetitive,
that is frequently accompanied by trumpets or Chinese horns,
like in the eastern part of the country. The comparseros or congueros transmit
their tradition from one generation to the other, that is
why the most famous comparsas of colonial times
are still currently performed with the same name, customs
and dancing style. Some examples of this trend include
the comparsas of El Alacrán, Las Bolleras,
Los Marqueses de Atares and Las Jardineras.