Montevideo, Uruguay (June 13, 2026)
The original plan was a day trip to Montevideo. When I saw how close the capital of Uruguay was to where I was staying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, it felt like “I pretty much have to!” Then, my friend Jill heard about my plans to visit Uruguay (see related post) and everything changed for the better. Now I’m so glad I’ve blocked off a week to really get to know the country of Uruguay.
My Airbnb host, Nella Nuevo, and my amazing guide in Montevideo
Jill connected me with her dear friends in La Paloma who recommended Nella while I was in Montevideo. What an amazing treasure of a woman I was lucky enough to stay with. She first invited me to join her at her club (an extensive gym) where I was able to get a fantastic workout in via free weights, machines and 102 laps in the pool.
Then I walked to the beach to take in the costal areas of Montevideo. To be clear, the month of June is the end of fall and the start of Uruguay’s winter. I could only imagine how amazing this would be in the January to March timeframe (their summer).
View from the Montevideo boardwalk. Packed in the summer time.
Then, as I was walking past a playground and park facing the ocean, I saw them. Beautiful green parrots that did an amazing job of blending into the grass. They were just slightly a lighter shade of green and were squabbling over some food that someone left them.
Parrots doing an amazing job of blending in with the grass … almost.
After the beach, I regrouped with Nella. We came across what looked like a marching band with a core drumming group at the tail end and dancers in the front. I asked Nella about this and she informed me that this was a local group in Montevideo practicing for next year’s Carnival. They practice every weekend until the 40-day festival kicking off in January and running through mid-March.
40 days? Amazing. It’s a giant parade like we have for Thanksgiving in New York, but there’s a balance between “standard” and creativity. The drum beats follow a similar pattern with three size drums. I looked up the details on Google and appreciate the concise summary:
The three drums used in Uruguay's famous candombe-based carnival are the chico, repique, and piano. Together, they form the rhythmic backbone of the Afro-Uruguayan street parades known as Llamadas.
The three tamboriles (barrel drums) are played together using one wooden stick and one bare hand (referred to as mano y palo):
Chico (Small): The smallest drum with the highest pitch. Its primary function is to maintain a steady, driving rhythm.
Repique (Medium): The mid-sized drum with a medium pitch. It is used for improvisation, syncopation, and "conversing" with the other drums.
Piano (Large): The largest drum with the deepest bass sound. It acts as the anchor and plays the primary rhythmic melodies.
These drums are traditionally made of wood and animal skin (lonja), and are carried with a shoulder strap so players can march continuously through the streets. The communal orchestra formed by all three drums is called a cuerda de tambores.
What you’ll also notice if you watch some of the YouTube video above is that each group begins with their flag wavers. The flags incorporate native culture into the symbolism of each flag. Then you have the dancers, then the drummers and finally the “old folks” where you have the older drummer man in a beard and woman dancing together. I really like this tradition.
What varies are the costumes, make-up (for the dancers and drummers), the colors, the flags and the routines specifically created for the judges of the competition. It’s easy to get sucked down an elaborate rabbit hole watching these groups compete. There’s beauty, rhythm, and a rich history waiting to be explored.
And that’s not all Carnival has to offer here in Uruguay. There’s also elaborate (and beautiful) stage performances where singers write and perform songs that make fun of the government. There’s usually a “representative” singer that’s for the government and responds to all the barbs and accusations. It looks really fun to watch and makes me wish I had a full command of the Spanish language.
Do yourself a favor and watch the opening act. JAW-DROPPING! The costumes alone put much of Broadway musicals to shame. So elaborate and gorgeous. I WANT one of those hats they area all wearing in the opening music. Wow. Their whole purple outfits are stunning. Meanwhile their musical harmony is incredible. I only wish I knew what they were singing about. Whatever fun they are making of their government, they are doing it with beauty and grace.
Thank you, Nella, for introducing me to this incredible cultural event. The next time I visit, I’m sure I’ll bring my family down during Carnival so that we can witness all of this live. I look forward to staying in your Airbnb again. It was fabulous!
