The Carnival of Bonao:
Unique with an interesting history

At the beginning of the 1930s, Bonao began to celebrate its street carnival in which young people and adults made their own costumes and masks and walked all around the neighborhood streets beginning at 10:00 in the morning.

At this time, they had musical group competitions in the Yuna Casino, Inc. in the presence of the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo and José Arismendy Trujillo Molina (Petán). Women from high society and elderly gentlemen participated. The costumes consisted of trousers, a blouse and a curtain that you’d find in a normal house. To this they added whistles, little mirrors and many multi-colored ribbons.

In the 1960s and ‘70s carnival was beginning to pick up with the formation of musical groups such as those organized by Gladis Cáceres de Suazo and Carmen Rosario with 10 to 12 people each. They participated in the gala festival held in the Bonao Country Club or the Yuna Casino.

By 1970, the traditional Roba de Gallina/Chicken Thief paraded around the neighborhoods begging for food and drink, chatting “The best supermarkets are here.” Hundreds of children and teens ran behind the character laughing and blowing whistles amid the sound of the rhythmic drumming.

In 1988 the Bonao Carnival Organization was formed and by the end of 1989 the first group, Los Charamicos, was created. Their area was on August 16 Street in the zone between Mella and Independence.

In 1990 the Organizing Committee of the Bonao Carnival (COCABO) was formed and the first groups also came to light: Charamicos, Caraduras, Selección 7, Truenos and Centellas, Cascarrabias and Zacatecas.

In addition to the above-mentioned, the Bisontes, Bárbaros, Irritables, Rayitos, Pirañas, Guacamayos, High Class and Los Tiburones, among others were formed in 1991. By 1994 there were up to 60 groups.

Between 1991 until 2002 Bonao won the following prizes, to name a few:

1. Best Carnival in the Province
2. Best Carnival Theme
3. Best Carnival Colors
4. Best Carnival Creativity
5. Best Individual Carnival
6. Best Carnival Float

Bonao’s main carnival character is Macarao whose traditional dress is made of satin, lamé and sequins with accessories including bells, ribbons, paper streamers and whistles. Their carts are made with the face of an animal.

The Bonao carnival begins the last Sunday of January and ends the second Sunday of March with a regional parade that unites the entire country’s carnival characters and floats.

The Queen of Carnival, Teen Queen and Momo King are chosen. This honor is overseen by a well-respected man of culture, a businessman or a politician from Bonao.

The first characters of the Bonao carnival were: Malín Bidó, the father of famous painter Cándido Bidó; Wilberto Deschamps (The Panther), Frank Terri, Lawless Juan, Libertado Cara e’ Gato, Gustavo La Vaca, among others.

Today the Bonao Carnival is led by the José Lino Martínez, who has dedicated his life to the organization, along with the COCABO members, the Carnival Union and the Macaraos Association. Piro Espinal and Manolo de la Rosa, among others, are also involved.

According to Dagoberto Tejeda, sociologist and researcher and one of the most important folklorists in the country, says that “the Carnival of Bonao has been the fastest growing carnival in the country, in quantity as well all quality.”