Some Spanish towns have traditional fiestas which include processions accompanied by drums (tambores), which they call tamborradas. Tamboradas drumming rituals are a loud, group ritual during which thousands of drums are played simultaneously. This is done in public spaces in towns and villages, continuously for a period of days and nights to create a captivating landscape of sound and identity, which is charged with emotion and a sense of communal communion.
In the Catholic Holy Week celebration, the tamboradas play a significant role. Each place has a different significance according to the custom. Whether religious and devotional, or secular and playful, the practice creates an atmosphere of goodwill and mutual respect.
In public spaces, families also share meals to create an atmosphere of friendship.
Every year, communities are organized into different groups to prepare for the ritual. The practice and the knowledge within these groups are passed down by the most experienced individuals, and the transmission process helps to create a strong sense of belonging among the community, and a deep connection with the ritual. The practice is transmitted through various events, including children's and national tamboradas, drum roll workshops, and embroidery contests. It also creates an emotional, cultural, and tradition-filled sensory environment.
Divided into a variety of categories based on their religious or civil affiliation, they represent the transmission of a cultural legacy from one generation to the next, with more experienced drummers teaching younger ones how to play.
The traditional drums and costumes are made by local artisans, contributing to the economy of San Sebastián. The largest drummer raises the flag of San Sebastián at midnight in the Konstituzio Plaza (Old Town).
Participants dress up as cooks or soldiers and march through the city for 24 hours. The celebration ends at midnight when the city flag is simultaneously lowered at Konstituzio Plaza.
When the Tamborrada is being marched by the group, street-goers usually take to the streets and are sometimes offered drinks between the musical performances.
Nowadays, most groups are mixed-sex and proportions differ greatly from group to group. This is the most important festival of the year for the Donostiarras, and the drummers often have a marching band playing along with them.
Children wake up, dressed in costumes from Napoleonic times after hearing drumming all night, and march around the city. In recent years, the parade has been pushed back, so that the Children's Tamborrada became the first activity of the festival. The Children's Tamborrada will celebrate its 62nd anniversary in 2023.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/tamboradas-drum-playing-rituals-01208) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamborrada) (http://www.spainisculture.com/en/propuestas_culturales/tamborradas-espana.html) (https://second.wiki/wiki/tamborrada)