The sound of the brass band announces that something is about to happen. The little ones hold on to their parents’ hands while others are already in the front row, ready to run as soon as the first big-headed» appears. There are nerves, laughter and also that fear that has been part of the game for generations. Under the papier-mâché, however, there are no fairytale characters, but neighbors who, in a totally selfless way, dedicate part of their time to keep alive one of the most deeply rooted traditions of the festivities of the neighborhoods of Zaragoza.
In each outing, the same scene is repeated. Children who premiere the experience, families who relive it from the other side and porters who years ago occupied that same place among the public. «Today we are wearing the big head, but we have all been children running in front of them,» sums up Israel, one of the members of the Comparsa de Cabezudos de La Jota. A phrase that explains better than any other how the generational change of a tradition that passes from fathers and mothers to children takes place and that continues to be very much alive thanks to those who decided to cross the barrier and get under the big head.
MUCH MORE THAN A BIG HEAD
The Comparsa de La Jota is currently made up of 37 porters, men and women, and has 14 big-heads, among which are, for example, Pepino and Rapero. And it is that in this neighborhood you can see many faces that are not repeated in others. But its members insist that the number is almost the least of it. The important thing is the commitment of those who, year after year, participate in the neighborhood festivals and also in schools, birthdays, concentrations and meetings with other comparsas to bring this tradition closer to new generations.
«Representing the comparsa of La Jota is a source of pride,» explains Óscar, who has been dating the Rapper for twelve years. For him, putting on a big head «is a hobby, as can be playing football», although he acknowledges that the real reward comes when he observes the reaction of the public. «Seeing a child smile when you shake hands with him or the happy faces of the kids when they run in front of the big head makes it all worthwhile,» he says.
That sentiment is shared by Israel, who remembers with emotion the first time he had the opportunity to wear a big head. «It’s a tradition that I’ve been living for almost ten years and I still carry it in my heart,» he says. For him, each outing is also a tribute to those who are no longer here and helped build the comparsa. «Every time I wear it I remember my colleagues and the people who accompany us from wherever they are,» she says with emotion.
A TRADITION THAT UNITES THE NEIGHBORHOODS
Although each neighborhood has its own comparsa, the relationship between them goes far beyond the patron saint festivities. Gatherings, meetings and collaborations are common throughout the year and have strengthened ties that, as they explain, have become even more necessary in recent times.
«With a simple WhatsApp message we have managed to bring together all the comparsas,» says Santiago, from the Comparsa de Cabezudos del Arrabal. This union also responds to the need to defend a tradition that, they believe, is part of the popular heritage of Zaragoza and that sometimes faces organizational difficulties, especially related to the processing of permits for its departures.
For Santiago, the bond with the big-heads began when he was a child, like that of so many Zaragozans. «At first you are afraid of them. Although in some way it is a fear-attraction because you leave there and want to come back,» she recalls with a smile. With the passage of time that boy ended up being part of a comparsa and, years later, directing one of them. «It is to continue a tradition that our ancestors have been carving out generation after generation. Paying tribute to them through it is a great pride,» he stresses.
THE ESSENCE OF THE HOLIDAYS
The recent controversy that arose on social networks as a result of some images of the brands that arose from the whips on some routes with big heads has reopened a debate that the comparsas consider recurrent. Without downplaying its importance, they insist that it cannot overshadow the true meaning of a tradition based on play and respect. «If you’re going to run in front of a big-head, you know what you’re exposing yourself to. If you are walking calmly, no one is going to hit you,» explains Óscar, who regrets the qualifiers that some porters have received. «We are not murderers; we are people,» he insists.
The comparsas assure that they are making an increasing effort to explain to families how to enjoy the routes safely, indicating where to stand or which areas to avoid for those who do not want to participate in the races. «We have to make society aware of what a big-headed route is like,» says Santiago, convinced that «if the races disappeared, Zaragoza would lose part of its essence.»
Because, in the end, they all agree on the same thing. Neither the heat under the papier-mâché, nor the weight of the big head, nor the hours of preparation weigh as much as the moment when the music begins to play and a child starts running laughing. «A smile and a child’s high-five is our joy,» Israel sums up. «A child who draws a picture of you and gives it to you so that you can autograph it, is also very nice,» says Santiago. Perhaps there, in that moment shared between those who run and those who chase, the true spirit of the festivities of the neighborhoods of Zaragoza is still alive.
