The Brava Theater was unexpectedly packed on the evening of April 26 and some patrons found themselves turned away from a sold-out show crowning this year’s King and Queen of the San Francisco Carnaval.
A total of 20 contestants vied for the sought-after titles—competing in three-minute dance routines and in full Carnaval get-up—before a panel of judges evaluating their performance ability, authenticity of cultural form, choreography, costumes, and of course, the audience’s reaction.
“I really felt the energy of our ancestors inside the theater that night and it took me out of San Francisco. it was a spiritual experience just watching the dancers—the energy was incredible,’ said Roberto Hernandez, a community organizer who has paved the way for Carnaval since it’s early beginnings. “That’s the magic behind carnaval—that energy, the music and the dance, connects all of us.”
In the end, two contestants stood out for their talent and performances that garnered an overwhelming reaction by the audience—Oakland-based carnavalesca Valencia Newton, crowned Queen, and Cuban-born Delvis Savigne Frinon, whose performance of modern fusion dance with traces of Caribbean folk and salsa earned him the titled of Carnaval King.
Involved in Carnaval culture since childhood, Newton was adopted by the Trinidad Tobago community and has been heavily influenced by her training with Caribbean groups such J’ouvert, Islands of Fire, and the Malick Folk Performing Company. For the past 13 years, she has served as co-lead dancer and choreographer for Sistas-Wit-Style Folk Performance Dance Company, based in Oakland.
“Being queen of San Francisco carnaval is a great honor to me…having been involved in Carnaval for so many years and as part of the Caribbean culture, SF carnaval has been so great to us as a carnaval contingent and as a performing group,” said Newton. “There are so many people involved and they’ve shown us a lot of love over the years. Having this title shows the dedication and work that (we) have been putting in as a group and as individuals.”
Carnaval organizers hope that Saturday’s turnout at the Brava Theater will foreshadow the community’s participation in this year’s 36th annual Carnaval, held from May 23-25 in the Mission District.
“The Mission is a wonderful place, its a great platform for different cultural groups and communities who come together on these days to celebrate life, culture, and heritage,” said Newton about the three-day celebration. “It’s a great representation, especially for people from different countries who are away from home, knowing that Carnaval happens every year unites them and and their cultures.”
Organizers are also building on the success of last year’s festivities by handing the reigns to young community members to ensure that the cultural festival will remain a tradition in the Mission District for years to come.
“In these times with all the gentrification that’s going on and the evictions that are happening in our community…one of the most important things is that we have to stand up for our culture,” said Roberto Hernandez.
Hernandez has assembled a team of five young, Latino professionals—ranging from high school students to college graduates—whom he will train in the different aspects of Carnaval, from organizing the parade to marketing, promotions, management, administration, and fundraising, over the next three years.
“It will be a transitional period,” said Hernandez. “I plan to pass the torch to them and they will hopefully continue with Carnaval for the next three decades.”
Financial shortcomings and increased organizational restrictions on behalf of the City had put the annual event in jeopardy last year, as San Francisco’s rapidly changing demographics have brought new residents while displacing many of the artists and musicians that are at the foundation of the festival.
“I was shocked with the amount of folks and new residents who were complaining with so much anger about the event and how they hated it,” said Hernandez, referring to noise and parking complaints that were directed at Carnaval volunteers last year by some residents. “It’s intriguing how you move to an urban city—into the barrio because you love the culture—yet you don’t want it in front of your house.”
Bridging the gap between new and old residents while retaining the Mission’s existing culture is an obstacle that organizers hope to overcome by involving the city’s younger generations in the festival’s planning process.
“One of the biggest challenges that we are facing is that with the new people moving into the neighborhood and people who are abusing the Ellis Act, we are losing the Latino flavor,” said Lorena Reyes, who at 18-years-old, is one of the younger members of Hernandez’ team. “I feel that Latinos and other people who used to be excited about Carnaval feel that it’s not the same anymore. We are trying to bring that spirit back.”
With the guidance of the elders in the community, Hernandez hopes that his team will bring skills and a fresh vision to Carnaval in order to create a new and lasting foundation.
“The way that Carnaval will be different from now on is that we are trying to create more brand awareness through social media—that is where we come in with our fortes,” said Rodrigo Duran, who has participated as a dancer in Carnaval since childhood and signed on to learn about organizing Carnaval. Along with his team, the 24-year-old has recently helped to revamp Carnaval’s website and is using social media to promote the event.
“Roberto’s vision is for us to become the link between the new tech industry that is growing in the Mission and the original residents,” said Duran, who works for a digital marketing company. “We can’t control Google, we can’t control Twitter, and we can’t control the people working there—but we can always find a way to communicate.”
By appropriating a World Cup theme for this year’s Carnaval, organizers hope that soccer could serve as another uniting factor for residents and community members of all backgrounds.
“If you are from or have visited Latin America, you know that soccer and Carnaval go together like peanut butter and jelly,” said Hernandez, adding that pick-up games will be taking place during Carnaval at nearby fields, open to anybody who wants to play. “Soccer is the number one sport in the world—it is played by people everywhere, and we are really excited about promoting something that is such a big part of our culture.”