MEXICO: Fantastic creatures of myth and legend delight hundreds in parade that organisers hope will become an annual tradition

Hundreds line the streets of Mexico City awed by a colourful parade of whimsical Mexican folk art sculptures - known as "alebrijes" - which depict fanciful creatures of myth and legend. It was a boisterous mix of whimsy, colour and fantasy that filled the streets of Mexico City on Saturday (October 20) as hundreds turned out to watch a parade of Mexican folk art sculptures, known as "alebrijes". Thirty life-size pieces representing fanciful creatures of Mexican myth and legend made their way down the streets while many event participants donned surreal masks. Alebrijes are traditional Mexican handcrafts made of cardboard and wire and painted with the traditional Mexican bright colours. Dragons, eagles, reptiles, demons and even giant insects were seen by an enthusiastic crowd that cheered and tried to photograph each figure and it creators. All the figures included in the parade were done by Mexican artisans. The parade was organized by the Mexico City Museum of Popular Art, which hopes it is the first of an annual tradition. "It's like a carnival, a tradition [referring to the making of the alebrijes] we have had for many years. It's full of people because this is a very nice and joyful tradition. I hope this will continue for many years and that these Mexican traditions will be kept always," said an excited Mario Serrano. Organizers hope to popularize these handcrafts that were created 50 years ago by the artisan Pedro Linares and now are well-known by foreign tourists visiting Mexico. According to Linares, now 73 years old, he imagined the alebrijes for first time in a strange dream. Linares said he was very sick and had dreamt of himself in a forest full of these scary and fascinating figures. When he recovered he began to craft the exotic images.

ITN Source | October 29, 2007

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