The glocalization of the Cádiz carnival in its groups through non-verbal communication. What they say without speaking or singing

Abstract

This article shows the importance that non-verbal communication has in one of the most representative artistic and cultural manifestations of Andalusia: the Cádiz carnival. Through testimonies of protagonists and theoretical research, we expose how carnival groups show social representations thanks to their lyrics and expressiveness. It is a local event that gradually becomes global. This is how the glocalization (with «c») of this cultural manifestation appears. The lyrics and music are fundamental in this tradition, but for the first time, we study precisely the importance that non-verbal communication has in it. This way of communicating reinforces its artistic side and adds communicative potencial to this carnival. Non-verbal features also fosters the artisanal industry of the city of Cáfiz: creation of costumes, staging design, «forillo» and props. In this article we show how this expressiveness transmitted through non-verbal communication gives greather strength to the message sung by carnival groups. With this work, we also incorporate another line of research into the Cádiz carnival, a topic that has been on the rise with a University chair since 2018 at the University of Cádiz.