FEAST OF THE THREE KINGS

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FEAST OF THE THREE KINGS

When it stops they unload a long silver ladder this is no one man ladder from the long black trailer on which sits el gran manzana congas golden brass sax trumpets guitar drums percussion speakers as big as refrigerators the surrounding crowd that follows in the street slows congeals like the walls of a cell around a central plasma of costumed dancers you can't count or assess the salad of colors and choices blackfaced masked a man with a suicide vest a few shieks silver firemen dozens in drag yellow hair green shamrocked top hats what the hell is that the man pulls the rope clackclackclack the ladder rises he leans it up against the pole climbs alligator clips dangling black cable from his belt up up up into the knotted tangle of overhead pole wires up there opens the copper jaws of the lagarta and clamps them somewhere who knows then sizzle static the announcer from the truck Buenos tardes Buenos tardes mi gente the band begins now electrified with who knows how many volts bass so deep you see darkness as the boring rythm of your heart tries to override the latin beats coming from your diaphragm unhinged merengue hips of the costumed dancers swivel eyes to the sky around around they go sweating captured within this copper faced crowd children wide-eyed on shoulders bananas frying and the music stops the dancers rest the following crowd waits while the alligator man climbs the now crescent-shaped ladder that bends and sways as he ascends releases the jaws from who knows where decends the cable dangling pulls the rope clackclackclack loads the collapsed ladder while all the time the dancers the crowd flow down the mountain beer cans tilted faces framed in windows abuelos on doorsteps

dancers posing for photos until they all slow again people piling against people like sticks in a blocked stream the black trailer halting he off-loads the ladder clackclackclack up up the teeth of the clamps bite copper sizzle static Buenos tardes Buenos tardes mi gente trumpets blare.

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Photos

Los Bomberos
Quick to pose on the streets of Pastores

Skeleton Face
Young man in the midst of the dance

In Motion
The truck laden with the band moves the dancers

Muchacho in Black Face
Serious young man among the dancers

Skyward
Frozen mask dancing

Merengue in Motion
Swirling, hip shaking, rhythmic

Young and Regal
Serious face in the swirl

Layers
Faces in the crowd

No One Man Ladder
Up into the tangle of live wires to power the band