Wow, what an event. My first with a “press pass”!
Karnival on a hot day meant a late start & extra long breaks for the troupe members.
If I hadn’t had the press access pass then I may have left earlier as the breaks were long!
I eventually ran out of patience & quickly got some late footage through the Bo-Kaap area & headed home long before all the troupes had passed.
The Kaapse Klopse (or simply Klopse), formerly known as the Coon Carnival and officially called Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, is a Cape locals minstrel festival that takes place annually on 2 January in Cape Town, South Africa. It is also referred to as Tweede Nuwe jaar (Second New Year). As many as 13,000 minstrels take to the streets garbed in bright colours, either carrying colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The minstrels are self-organised into klopse ("clubs" in Kaapse Afrikaans, but more accurately translated as troupes in English). The custom has been preserved since the mid-19th century.
People consider the festival a rite of renewal that has been shaped by the Cape's history. The events that are associated with Klopse in the festive season include competitions for the Christmas choirs, Cape Malay choirs, and Cape minstrel choirs.
The festival was known as the Coon Carnival, but local authorities have since renamed the festival the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival as the term “coon” is rightly considered an ethnic slur.