San Pedro represents a farewell. It is the checkmate of the festivities started on June 24th at sunrise and it covers all the corners in the city, including those ancient slums like Bedoya, San Rafael, Tucunicu, Matadero and Mexico Chiquito. Without forgetting Los Colorados and Triana, near Funda del Catre, when, at the beginning of the XXth century, some congas joined these parades and imposed their rhythm to announce the end of these parties, since the beginning was marked by the reading of edict.

The fact is that the San Juan parades have a established route on the streets of the city but San Pedro parade is anarchic. It departures form any neighborhood and goes to the Carmen or La Caridad square, where some congas and brass bands converged.

San Pedro, patron of fishermen and artisans turned in Camagüey into a party with loud music and warm sun every June 29th, announcing the summer.

Since the beginnings, the congas were named after the place in which they were created, its director´s last name or its integrants, like Los Pimienta, Los Pulpos, Los Marqueses del Cristo and the ancient conga of Macagüa y sus muchachos.

La Catedral and La Farola congas were from La Caridad neighborhood. Los Tinajones and La Cubana were organized near Bedoya square and finally near Palma Street, common place of local congas, Los Jamaiquinos.

Los Comandos was created in the 40s and nowadays it is one of the oldest still working due to the fact that every certain time its musicians are replaced with new generation.

If the San Juan is the party of the whole city, the San Pedro invites us to have the last drink and reminds us that next year we will have this minute of joy.

Translated by Yaumaris Pilliner Recio, English Language student

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