Kengas Parade

ATTENTION, PLEASE.

Before reading the present page, make sure that you read, until the end, this page.

Below, a description of a cultural event of Natal, a city whose list of qualities include, among many others, the tolerance. The city of Natal gave official support to the event.


"Quengas" has a few meanings in Portuguese; "kengas" is a more elegant way to refer to quengas.
The original meaning of quenga is each of the two half parts of a coconut shell, after the water and pulp are removed. With reference to women, quenga is usually a woman with strong sexual appetite; kenga is a quenga who is not a woman.

One of the many qualities of Natal is that it is a tolerant city. Natal is, quite possibly, the only city in Brazil where there is a Parade of Kengas, without any sexual conotation; the Kengas simply want to exhibit themselves, and be declared the Kenga of the Year. The audience comes for fun; many families watch the show; people don't care about someone else's personal life.

The Parade of Kengas (Desfile das Kengas) has been happening for years, the same day (Sunday of Carnival), the same place (Historic Downtown, rua Vigário Bartolomeu, near the seat of State and City governments). This year of 2006, the city of Natal, in an attempt to revigorate the carnival, created four poles, in which there would be free shows, opened to the public; one of such poles was in the Historic Downtown. The Parade and the show became one single party.

The show promoted by the city was very good (read here); after the show was over, the kengas took over. They performed at the same stage where the band had played. The show starts around 4 pm, the Kengas parade starts around 8 pm.
Unfortunately, we could not stay to photograph the performances on the stage. The photos below show the kengas arriving and enjoying the party, along with the other people, before the parade started.

These two friends arrived early.	They proudly pose to photographers.

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