My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108

There is a time in this city when marching bands invade the streets of Cavite in the Philippines. Different groups from different areas of the province comes together for the ultimate battle. This year nine groups march around the city to show the pride and talent of their band. Come with me today as I share with you the......

 

Invasion of the Marching Bands

3 pm and the sun was high, sirens invites the people to come out and witness the event. The main roads were closed to give way to the marching bands. Groups traveled from different locations to perform as a part of the celebration of the month long festival in the city. The parade started from the check point of the city which is 3 km away from where they are now. In spite of the heat at this time, the marching bands pressed on. Ambulances were ready in case someone would need immediate medical attention as this parade requires endurance. From the previous years there are always members that were rushed to the hospital due to fatigue and heat.

The first group arrives at the market area where the majority of the spectators are concentrated. With the roads closed, traffic builds up and the vehicles are routed on the inner streets. This gives the groups a lot of space to move around in their formation.

From where they started they have been marching and performing for almost an hour now. With a couple of minutes of rest stop once in a while.

You could see from the faces of the performers that some are already exhausted.

Enters the the Little Big Man who is also a field commander, walking with so much pride and confidence. He has gained the attention of the spectators due to his confidence in leading the group.

A marching band is not complete without majorettes. Each group has their own colors and uniforms to attract attention. I am impressed to see how they are still able to keep their poise and smiles after a long walk.

Following behind them is the group who plays the clarinet.

The big instruments would require a lot of stamina since they would still be marching around. Reaching the destination does not end there as they would still need to go around a couple of blocks. The line would go around the inner streets and end up to a stage in the market area. There they will be doing their final performance and exhibition.

The big man carrying the Sousaphone looks like he needs some water. In the city most of the residents offers water to the groups who passes by their house.

The second group waving their colors to make their presence known.

The majorettes have their uniforms designed like the costume of Wonder Woman. I am just imagining how they will be performing later.

The band for this group has a Scottish parade uniform theme. I was expecting to see a bag pipe, unfortunately I didn't see anyone playing it.

Although there were no bag pipes, they have a jazz man all ready with his saxophone.

The next group was full of energy and I love the colors of their costume.

Their performance and posture were up to the level. They were performing on the streets as if it was already their main performance. I just hope still have enough energy to finish the parade.

The band of this group also played very seriously, not breaking the line and facial expressions the means business.

The little drummer boy seems to have gotten distracted with something along the way.

The music from the band was getting intense and beats of the drums grew louder as they neared the market area.

The field commander wearing a red cape was in character all the way. I was like he was performing on stage with his antics and movements. He was very entertaining and I just realized what makes up a great band. It it is like an orchestra that is well coordinated with each member. Every movement, gesture, facial expressions and music must all work together to bring out an exceptional performance.

I have noticed from the start, a lot of the majorettes kept their smiles on. Most of them are not showing any trace of fatigue. Dancing, marching and interacting with the crowd takes a lot of stamina.

The black and pink colors of this group works well if I may say. As there is a saying that goes, "Real men wear pink."

The following group waving their colors, has a traditional touch on their costume. I noticed that the upper portion is a bit similar to native indigenous tribes.

It would have been great if they upped the notch with the musicians costumes by going native as well.

The sound and colors of the next group requires attention. If they had a horse with them it would have completed the theme for this group. Well organized in a perfect formation, they are like an army on their way to conquer and win the battle.

There are always those who notice you. If you get their attention sometimes you get a smile, a pose and sometimes they just want to look their best when photographed.

These old folks looks like they have been doing this for quite some time now. I could only imagine the weight of those instruments, not to mention the effort that you exert playing this instrument. You would need a lot of air from your lungs to blow the Sousaphone. They aren't shiny as the other bands, but I guess it adds character to it.

Members of the group shows the old and the new generation together.

Another group that has a touch of tribal influence on their costumes.

This group also means business and is not backing down. With an aggressive stance that is ready for battle.

They stop for a moment, but continues with the music and performance.

As they held their ground, the flags were waved and the music grew louder. The beat of the drums filled the air with a festive feeling.

The band started to move along but the music does not stop. The crowd was growing in the area as the sound of the instruments attracted more people to flock to the streets to witness the spectacle.

These ladies looked tired and some really needed a drink. They were out of formation, but I think they just needed a break.

As their band played, they immediately formed into formation and proceeded with the march.

They didn't invest much on their costumes, but hopefully they would perform well.

The last group has a very interesting member up in front. She caught my attention and tried to get a closer shot.

Watching the parade also requires awareness. When they pass by you must pay very close attention as these poles could smack you in the face. There is already someone that goes ahead the warn the people as the performers needed some space. There were incidents back then where spectators who would not listen to the warnings got smacked with the pole.

This little performer was up to the level in her performance and gained a lot of attention from the crowd.

With her flag being waved around and not skipping a beat. She had so much energy and looks like was enjoying all the attention.

It is amazing to see little kids playing a part in a marching band. This is talent shown at a very young age. Learning steps and movements is really hard. Children being a part of a band is really impressive.

I guess she noticed me taking photos and wanted to show more of her moves.

This completes the first part of this parade. If you would like to see more during the exhibition, please do visit me again for the second part. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have ever been a part of a marching band. Please do leave a comment and share you experience with us. Thank you for joining me today and hope to see you again.

For the meantime, keep the music playing and never stop believing. Life is hard and is like a long march, but in the end, everything would pay off as long as you do not quit the march. Have a good evening everyone.

 

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All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 and Sigma 50 mm

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://watersnake101.vornix.blog/2018/11/25/invasion-of-the-marching-bands-beautiful-sunday/

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