The giants in New York

José Luis Larrión
From the guide Sanfermines, 204 hours of fiesta

The "comparsa" or retinue of Giants, escorted by numerous "Cabezudos", "Kilikis" and "Zaldikos", has traveled a great deal, as we have said before. Even so, Tadeo Amorena who created our Giants around the year 1860 could never have imagined that these beloved papier mache figures would one day measure their statures against the tallest buildings in the world - the skyscrapers of New York.

Long since accustomed to admiration and applause in nearby lands, in October, 1965 Pamplona's "comparsa" had the opportunity to stroll down the avenues of New York City during the International Fair that was being celebrated there with the theme, "Peace through Understanding".

The organizers, paying no attention to their own slogan, put as a condition to the Giants' invitation that the pair of figures that represented the countries of America remain in Spain because they were black. Only the Giants portraying royal couples from Europe, Asia and Africa, with skin painted a whiter color than the Americans, could be present in New York.

As our groups of dancers and Giants paraded down Fifth Avenue, they were cheered and applauded with great enthusiasm by people who responded to the magic of something they had never seen before in their city.

And after leaving the two black Giants in Pamplona, we saw to our surprise that the men who had been hired to carry the "Kilikis" during the parade were black.

© José Luis Larrión.