Festive Devils of the Americas

Milla Cozart Riggio

ISBN 10: 0857421794 / ISBN 13: 9780857421791

Published by Seagull Books London Ltd, GB, 2015

About this Item

The devil is a defiant, nefarious figure, the emblem of evil, and harbinger of the damned. However, the festive devil - the devil that dances - turns the most hideous acts into playful transgressions. Festive Devils of the Americas is the first volume to present a transnational and performance-centered approach to this fascinating, feared, and revered character of fiestas, street festivals, and carnivals in North, Central, and South America. As produced and performed in both rural and urban communities and among neighborhood groups and councils, festive devils challenge the principles of colonialism and nation-states reliant on the straight and narrow opposition between good and evil, black and white, and us and them. Each section of this volume opens with regional maps ranging from the Andes, Afro-Atlantic, and Caribbean, to Central and North America. However, festive devils defy geographical as well as moral boundaries. From Brazil's Candomble to New Mexico's dance halls, festive devils and their stories sustain and transform ancestral memory, recast historical narratives, and present political, social, and cultural alternatives in many guises.Within economic, political, and religious cross-currents, these paradoxical figures affirm the spirit of community within the framework of subversion and inversion found at the heart of the festival world.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780857421791

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Festive Devils of the Americas
• Publisher: Seagull Books London Ltd, GB
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0857421794
• ISBN 13: 9780857421791
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 15.24W x 2.79H x 22.86D centimeters 15.24 centimeters width by 2.79 centimeters height by 22.86 centimeters depth
• Weight: 680 grams

About this title

Synopsis

The devil is a defiant, nefarious figure, the emblem of evil, and harbinger of the damned. However, the festive devil―the devil that dances―turns the most hideous acts into playful transgressions. Festive Devils of the Americas is the first volume to present a transnational and performance-centered approach to this fascinating, feared, and revered character of fiestas, street festivals, and carnivals in North, Central, and South America. As produced and performed in both rural and urban communities and among neighborhood groups and councils, festive devils challenge the principles of colonialism and nation-states reliant on the straight and narrow opposition between good and evil, black and white, and us and them.

Each section of this volume opens with regional maps ranging from the Andes, Afro-Atlantic, and Caribbean, to Central and North America. However, festive devils defy geographical as well as moral boundaries. From Brazil’s Candomblé to New Mexico’s dance halls, festive devils and their stories sustain and transform ancestral memory, recast historical narratives, and present political, social, and cultural alternatives in many guises. Within economic, political, and religious cross-currents, these paradoxical figures affirm the spirit of community within the framework of subversion and inversion found at the heart of the festival world.

About the Authors

Milla Cozart Riggio is professor of English at Trinity College, Hartford.

Angela Marino is assistant professor in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Paolo Vignolo is associate professor at the Center of Social Studies of the National University of Colombia, Bogotá.