Magdalena festa plena!

The first thing I write in my blog has to be about Magdalena, one of the best weeks of the year (only comparable with Xodos in August). This year Magdalena began later than usually (from 26th March to 3rd April).
Most people in Castelló rent a place with their friends and stay there all the week. They buy much drink and keep it in their colla. In my opinion that is wasting the Magdalena. We have a week of local fiestas and they spend it enclosed always in the same place. They can’t see the ambience that surrounds all the city, and at night they often go back to their colla because they have their drinking there and they don’t want to spend more money. Also, there are always people who want to ruin the parties, and they enter in other collas demanding drinking, and if the people in the colla don’t obey they hit them. But that’s another issue, and I don’t want to speak ill of Magdalena. Anyway, I have never had a colla, and I don’t regret it. My friends rented a colla once and they haven’t done it again.
When you are in Magdalena you wish that the party finishes because you are tired, but deep inside you know that that isn’t true, because you are having so much fun that you wouldn’t mind if Magdalena lasted a year, even if you were more than exhausted. The most special thing in Magdalena is the people and the ambience you find at the streets: for one week, all the people in Castelló seem to be friends; everywhere you go you can hear the typical “xarangas” from here (they can make you dance even if you are depressed; at night you don’t have to go to discos because there is music almost in every street of the city… It seems like an obligation to go out every night, because you fear that if you don’t go out maybe you will lose something funny. The only bad thing about Magdalena is that at weekdays the party at the streets ends too soon, but you can continue the party if you know where to look for.
My best day in Magdalena was Wednesday. It was really, really funny. Me and my friends organized a “xaranga” and went around the city. I played the drum and three of my friends played the “dolçaina” (typical flute from here). We began playing at the “Muralla” square. All the people there danced with us and then applauded, it was very funny and comforting. Then the bar owner invited us to beer. After that, we went to the “Mesón de la tapa” without stop playing, and some people invited us too. When we arrived to the “meson” we realized that many people were following us, singing and dancing. They invited us to many beers to, and we played for hours, but it was so funny that we didn’t feel tired. After that we went back to “la muralla”. There was the DJ of ettro, and at 2, when they had to close, they gave headsets to everyone. That way you could listen to music and dance without upsetting the neighbors. It was very strange, because you were dancing normally, with your music, and if you put off your headsets you saw all the people dancing in silence, maybe you could only hear a person who was singing a song you couldn’t hear. And then you put your headsets again and the party continued.
Another good thing of this Magdalena was, like always, the second weekend, it is always when there are more people and they organize the best concerts. On Saturday I went to a “Rototom” festival. After that, some of my friends that have made a group performed at the same place. They are really good, and you have even more fun if you know the members of the group (you can make jokes and make them laugh while they are playing). And then played two more groups. It’s a little difficult to find places where you can dance reggae and ska. Actually it seems that when you go out you can only hear dance or house music or something similar.
Friday was also very good. At night they organized two concerts that I liked very much. I didn’t know to which go, but fortunately they were at the same street, so I could go from one to the other. The concerts were: on the one hand acted “Tom Bombadil”; and on the other hand I saw “Tirant lo Roc”, “Pepet I Marieta” and “Orxata Sound System”. I especially enjoyed the last one. Their music is a bit strange, but they make a lot of party.
I could tell lots of things about this Magdalena, because probably in this week happen to me more thing that in the whole year. But I don’t want anyone to get bored, so let`s go to the next issue. (831)