On September 20, the 2nd Gathering and Celebration of Masquerades of the
Province of Zamora was held in one of the MascaraZA federation villages that still
preserves this tradition, Pobladura de Aliste, which celebrates La Obisparra every
year.
This gathering, just like the one in 2024 in San Vicente de la Cabeza, was organized
from the grassroots, with strong participation from the communities that keep masked
festivities alive. In fact, the fifteen groups that showcased their traditions—regardless of
their size or resources—were placed at the center in a democratic and equal way, setting
aside egos and ensuring the participation of all member associations. The local
organization was carried out by the Aires de Aliste Cultural Association, which has
been promoting the culture of Pobladura, the Aliste region, and the province of Zamora
in general for over half a century. At the helm of the local organization were two
prominent members of MascaraZA, Javi Silva (Torre de Aliste) and Adrián Blanco (San
Vicente de la Cabeza), supported by many others.
The federation expressed its gratitude to the participating groups, the invited authorities,
and gave special recognition to professors António Tiza and Pilar Panero for their
academic and outreach work on the masks of Zamora. Both received a commemorative
gift from the event with deep appreciation and awareness of the responsibility that
comes with studying mask culture for so many years. MascaraZA acknowledges the
vastness of the subject and values that these traditions are studied and appreciated
alongside others from Europe and around the world.
The event brought together the numerous delegations of the groups, the people of
Pobladura de Aliste, and over 2,000 visitors from different places. Both the
participants and the audience are proof that the culture of the mask is a cross-cutting
tradition, involving people of all ages and attracting interest from both rural and urban
citizens.
This day of fellowship closed with an exceptional highlight: a participatory concert by
the folk group Mayalde. Many photographers attended, among them Carlos Blanco,
to whom we extend our thanks for these beautiful images:
https://www.facebook.com/carlos.blanco.1481/
https://www.instagram.com/alistanoblanco/
