History of the Moixiganga

History of the Moixiganga

The moixiganga is a dance that was entered to the Big Penedès any the 18th century but the luck that has had to each town of the comarca has been different. Seguidament Will centre us in the past and current history of the Moixiganga of our city.

Although Vilanova has not been considered never a vila too moixiganguera in comparison with other viles in that the dance has had greater ressò; the most elderly population was conscious of that this dance had been danced to Vilanova in past times. In case it remained any doubt of the existence of this dance has been found different documents where detail expenses of the moixiganga to the files of Vilanova. The first of these date of the year 1832 in that a moixiganga acted for the festivity of Saint Antoni Pull down.

The fact that this was the first documentation written does not mean not that it was the first time that the moixiganga went out in the same way that neither has to us do think that the moixiganga was danced by a group of natural vilanovins. The lack of documentation from the Trienni Liberal (1820–1823) to Vilanova extends for all the fields, which thing hampers the true knowledge of many events.

The following year to the previous receipt (1833) found another account in what detail expenses for many dances and between these the moixiganga. This proliferation of dances and elements of the popular culture can attribute it to the triumph of the liberal reforms that carried out with Maria’s Regency Cristina (1832).

Definitively we find a document dated of 1834 that us woman constancia and security of that the moixiganga was danced by people of the town.

This receipt does us think that the musicians (surely grallers) were brought of out since as the receipt pays them and goes them to look for out. Of the wardrobe also can take out any information. We can not say nothing on if they brought or no vest for the skirt had to rent him, surely did it to Vilafranca that it was the only place where also there was moixiganga to the rodalies of these dates (to Sitges no affine dance the 1855). The receptor of the quantity can suppose that it was the head of the gang of then.

The diverse receipts that find give small informations on the ore of dance that did , one gives news of that the dance did with ciris, another call directly to Castellví as a “capatás of the dance of the Muixiganga”…

By the year 1850, the moixiganga also go out for the party of the Snows which was turning into the greater party of the vila in prejudice of the one of Saint Antoni. This same year the City council pays for the first time the expenses of the dances that went out for the party of the Snows. Until then it was the Church of Saint Antoni the attendant to cover the expenses of the exits of the moixiganga that only did for commemorar the festivity of the Saint. This owed to the will of the industrial bourgeoisie to propel the festivity of the Snows and degrade the one of Saint Antoni than still represented the agricultural economic base that began to dissolve to our vila.

To party of 1859 the Parish desentén of the moixiganga and as only bears the Dragon and the Giants, trail to municipal charge the moixiganga to the the same that the majority of the other popular dances.

From this date, the numeral of performances is not too clear since only mentions the exit of the dances to the newspaper but without specifying which do it. To finals already of the life of the ancient moixiganga, to the Apartat of “Local Chronicle” of the “Diario of Villanueva y Geltrú” in the year 1864 publishes a comment that refers to the moixiganga all saying: “ … Fear lo ridículo y hasta hurtful of su argue y fear lo ocasionados that sleep á desgracias (…) indignos Of figurar in las fiestas of a pueblo civilizado…”. But the last document in that it speaks of the moixiganga at the same time that of other dances and entremesos is a chronic than in 1871 relates the party of the Snows that was then the Greater Party of the vila since it had achieved reduce the festivity of the pattern of the vila to as only the Three Tombs.

From that year 1871 do not go back to have noticies of the moixiganga vilanovina. The reasons were not too clear and neither can ensure that it was that same year the moment in that ceases to represent the dance definitively.

It is necessary to highlight some possible reasons that did to disappear the Moixiganga and that they would be the group of they all the causers of his loss more than no not one of specific. In the first place we can pose the hypothesis of the loss of his impulsor although we can not me concretise the exact date for lack of documentation.

In the second place we can mention as a cause the Wars Carlines. The two first perhaps had a ressò too important but the third, that initiated in 1868 and finalised in 1875, goes malmetre much more the country and especially, the inner or rural Catalonia where the collective Carlins were more popular. This third war paralysed the festive activities to Vilanova and culminated with the employment of the vila in the year 1874 for the liberal troops headed by the General Tristany. We can think that Vilanova did not form part of the zone of the Principat before renown but, although our vila was costanera, the collective pertaining to the peasantry was quite important. We remember that the collective carlistes were integrated by farmers that looked for a return to the ancient diet with one cession of the thunder in Carles’s favour Maria Isidre and later of his descendants. Besides, the Carlisme also was borne by collective bourgeoisie, ecclesiastical and aristocrats with the same wishes. Of this type of population also there was to our Vila although in minor measures that of working. Like this we have to consider the clashes bèl·lics how a possible factor that favoured the loss of this, together with the other dances. For these reasons is quite comprehensible that the youngsters of the comarca were more had to protect his cities that no not to ballars and preserve his popular dances.

Or perhaps they would be the own principles of the carlisme that endugueren the moixiganga together with all the vestigis of the Illustration.

Seguidament Have to consider the change of mentality that experienced during the end of the 19th century. This new way to live would bring to our small city the railway, the industry… And in definite the progress. Since the present can find compatible the demonstrations of the Catalan culture (how the Moixiganga) with the technological advances. But in that moment considered necessary dump all those archaic thoughtful elements between which found the Moixiganga perhaps for his religious character, perhaps to be an exercise with roots ancestrals or perhaps to be found ridiculous how like this considers in the article that the newspaper of Vilanova publishes already in 1864. For this ultima reason can conclude that it did not owe have too many people interested in dancing and keep the moixiganga in the first place for shame and in the second place because the concepts of entertainment and the new shapes of esbargiment were too different.

In sight of this relation it is necessary to do some pertinent observations. In the first place the exits of that here has constància have because be the only did . It could be the case that some performances do not feature to any document written or that if they featured these documents have been lost or destroyed, also can give the case of that it was not mentioned the moixiganga specifically how especially from 1859 did the Newspaper of Vilanova which as only said that “salieron los bailes of costumbre”. But between these dances can include the moixiganga? Some years the interrogating can discover with complementary documents how any program of courtships.

For another part can see how the performances of the moixiganga went little to little deslligant- of the festivity of Saint Antoni Pull down to measure that also deslligava of the parish of the vila devoted to this Saint. Like this, the first years the Moixiganga as only went out for the Festivity of Saint Antoni Pull down that then was what considered Greater Party of Vilanova and the Geltrú. Later I fit the 1848 find a period in that it does not have noticia of the performances of the Moixiganga until the 1850. In this sequence rotted to suppose that, to the be very extensive, the moixiganga went out in any occasion possibly so much for the party of Saint Antoni and for the one of the Snows. Since that year find a period in that surely the Moixiganga acted for both parties until finally, to the year 1859 this dance how already said happens to charge marry exclusive of the City council of the city. This fact owes to the traspàs of the specificity of the Party of Saint Antoni in favour of the one of the Snows. For last find that the Moixiganga begins to act to the Greater Party of the Geltrú in the year 1859. But considering that previously to this year find a llacuna without documents of four years very possible that the dance did before.