Juana Zulema Volpe de Rasmussen is the Big Mama of the Carnival of Corrientes. In his house at San Juan 1036, in the capital of the province, the story of Ara Berá, one of the first comparsas that the coastal privateering had. And even more: in that house the phrase that is repeated to this day was coined: “Corrientes, National Capital of Carnival”, an institutional seal.
This glorious 103-year-old woman is the living history of ara berasince his home was the cradle of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even the troupe that everyone there calls “Rayo”, Ara Berá, a Guarani term that means “bright light, lightning”although originally with “v”. Zulema Rasmussen He gives health and happiness, and is proud of not having missed any of the Corrientes carnivals.
They love her so much in her hometown that, on her century of life, an “Organizing Commission Tribute to Mama Zulema” was formed, which brought together several notables from Corrientes.
At his home, on February 12, 1961, the act that gave life to Ara Berá was built. The terrace, the patio and the gallery witnessed the nerves of the first outing, the seams against the clock, the calls to the mothers to convince them to let their daughters dance, as was done in Pass of the Freethe trials of “his son the doctor”, Ricardo Rasmussenone of the most prestigious cardiologists in the province, who, however, had also been born with a special ear for music, winds, and drums.
correntino Corso: a passion
It was he, Ricardo Rasmussen, who founded the first samba school that the country had, that of Ara Berá, which in homage to its creator, exactly one year ago was renamed “in perpetuity” as “University of Sound Dr. Ricardo Rasmussen for his invaluable and incalculable contribution to the Corrientes carnival”.
We promise never to forget that we are part of your storyWe are going to defend your legacy, our colours, colleagues and directors, like our own family”, reads the diploma that his musical sons “araberaceros” gave him.
“In my grandmother’s house, meetings were held at all hours, she cooked for everyone, organized, and was always ready for anything that was asked of her. I remember that house on San Juan street full of people, instruments, feathers, boxes of sequins…”, says Lorena Rasmussen, granddaughter of Zulema, daughter of Ricardo and another 1964 Carnival Queen, but from the comparsa thump-thump, Delaware Pass of the Free. That is, a fixed number to continue with the marching and the samba familiar. However…
“I was very shy, therefore I did not participate actively. As a girl, they wanted to put me the costumes of my cousins, that they were comparseras since they were little, and still are, and I cried! But in 1995, when I turned 21, I went back inside with friends, and it was beautiful. Unique, incredible. I would go out dancing on the avenue and my shyness would go away. Were the genes…”, recalls the heiress.
Paso de los Libres was the first carnival in the country, with Ingrid Grudke in the front row
Lorena Rasmussen, Zulema’s granddaughter is a dentist and prioritized the scientific vein of family trunk (his grandfather father, Pascual ArpinoHe was the most famous pharmacist in the entire province, literally). However…
“It is impossible to be from Corrientes and not feel passion for carnival and the troupe I love that. Even today, even though I am a ‘doctor’ –as everyone calls me- and I live in Buenos Aires, hearing the Ara Berá march or hearing about Paso de los Libres gives me goosebumps. It is something very strong to be from there”.
Their siblingstheir cousinstheir nephews they also have Afro-Brazilian rhythms running through their veins. “We all carry it in our blood and you feel that passion. It is something similar to a River-Boca ”, he exemplifies her to translate to the microcosm of Buenos Aires.
“Although I am far away, in Carnival there is no better place than Corrientes or Paso de los Libres to be. He Rasmussen-Arpino I have it in my blood, it is love and it’s a chill hard to explain. It makes the heart beat, ”he describes. And I despise
Tomorrow he will take a lightning flight by plane to spend Carnival among his family. First stop, Paso de los Libres; then Corrientes capital.
Lorraine Rasmussen, the third generation of comparseros from Ara Berá, covers his face with a chinstrap and face shield and returns to his half-world of medicine. No one would suspect that behind so much surgical asepsis, there are two little eyes from Corrientes who yearn for samba, sequins and Paraná.
In it, the love story of his parents, they come together two carnivals that, although sparks are drawn, they were always inspired by conditions: the libreño and the correntino, the one that took to the streets with Denomination of Origin.
The one in Paso de los Libres, in 1948, was really the first Carnival in the country, as it is celebrated today. And Corrientes, “National Capital of Carnival” thanks to Zulema, the Big Mama declared an Illustrious Citizen by the Municipality and Illustrious Person by the Chamber of Deputies and Senators of Corrientes (2021).
One passion and four generations
“Several members of the Rasmussen trunk are still actively linked to Carnival today: one of my sons dancing in the front commission; two of my children They accompany the comparsa keeping time, assisting the comparseros in their path and in the commercialization; my niece Lucero Blanc Iriondo; evil sisters and strange cousinsin the logistics of the comparsa; Belén Fernández Coutinho, this year’s Queen, who is married to me nephew; and I, as President of Ara Berá”, details Andrea Iriondo Rasmussen (50), in office since August 2021, but also a bank employee.
Andrea has been with Ara Berá, since she was very little. “We all have different last names because most of us are women, but ultimately we are all Rasmussen”, she laughs.
And all without distinction of surnames start from the bottom. “Sometimes you see the men who come all ‘hard’ from the gym and you think, ‘hey, these aren’t going to grab one! And then you want to die from how they dance”, confesses Andrea, who before the administrative tasks had her years as a dancer in the troupe.
“He 90% of those who enter the comparsa we are amateur. There is no skill, musical knowledge or beauty requirement to be part of a comparsa in Corrientes. He learns everything in Workshops three hours and in rehearsals, from Monday to Friday; the drummers try all the instruments, until they find theirs”, he says.
The Corrientes comparsas do not require prior knowledge or skills, everything is taught and learned+
+”I believe that passions are inherited from generation to generation, here each one transmits the passion for your t-shirt of Carnival. Every year, when I am very tired, I say to myself, ‘no, I won’t continue next year, but when the date approaches you are working at full as always, thinking about how to put together events for raise money for suits, feathers, whatever.”
No member of the comparsa charges for their work throughout the year, in fact they pay an infinite number of expenses.
“Keeping the comparsa alive is a lot of work, but it will continue for many more years,” he says Andrea Iriondo Rasmussenembracing her destiny.
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