Madrid definitely turns on the Christmas mode with the traditional zambombada, a great parade that this Sunday, December 14, from 12:30 pm, will fill the center of traditional rondallas and cuadrillas. This musical parade kicks off a program that, from December 14 to January 4, will turn streets, squares, churches, parks and cultural centers into a huge Christmas stage.
The zambombada will go through the most central streets of the city to welcome the holidays with carols, popular rhythms and more than 200 musicians in formation. This parade marks the beginning of a musical calendar that will continue on December 16 with the Christmas Concert of the Municipal Police Band at the Casa de Campo Theater Auditorium.
A parade that occupies the center
The route usually passes through some of the busiest areas of the historic center, so that those strolling or Christmas shopping suddenly find themselves surrounded by the rhythms of zambomba, guitars, bandurrias and tambourines. The different groups advance in blocks, are relieved and make stops at strategic points so that the public can stop to listen and sing.
Although the atmosphere is festive and very informal, behind the Zambombada there is a strong component of dissemination of folklore. The parade recovers instruments and melodies that are part of popular memory, and returns them to the public space for children and adults to experience them live, beyond the usual commercial versions. It is also a way of reclaiming the street as a stage for community celebration.