Behind the mask, the Andratx Dimonis

From the very first time I saw a Dimoni at a Mallorcan fiesta I was terrified of them: unpredictable, crazed creatures dressed as devils running down the streets at night wielding fireworks, flaming torches, (occasionally) chain saws, and making incredibly loud explosive bangs. What’s not to be afraid of really? My husband, Oliver, on the other hand saw the photo opportunities that these amazing displays of lunacy brought and so last year at the Port Andratx fiestas in July he took some photographs and put them onto our Phoenix Media Mallorca blog and Facebook. What happened next was not what we expected: the Dimonis  got in touch with us and it turned out that they weren’t the insane “Health and Safety” nightmare that I had always thought they were. In fact take away their frightening devil masks and all of them have sensible adult jobs, many of them are parents or even grandparents, are completely responsible and very, very friendly.

Our friendship started with the Dimonis  just commenting and reposting my husband’s photos on Facebook, then when we exhibited the images at the Night of Art in s’Arracó we actually met some of them and were invited to participate in a Nit de Foc (Night of Fire). “Well, I guess it would be interesting to see how it all works from the other side of the street”, was my answer, whilst internally fretting about the likelihood of spontaneously combusting from my fear of the bangs, proximity to things that are burning and the sheer naughtiness of the Dimonis . That is what they to represent to me: cheekiness, lewdness, mischief; they are hell raisers, and here for some fun.

The practice of the Correfoc and Demons has been in existence for a long time in Catalan culture but it wasn’t until the 1970’s that it made it over to Mallorca. Now there are 40 groups in the Federation of Dimonis, but my area, Andratx had not had one until three years ago when the Dragomonis were formed by a nucleus of a handful of people. I met with Jaume the President, Biel, Marga, Asier, Ramon and Marina to find out more.  If you ask them why they decided to start a local group the simple answer you will receive is that they wanted to have the chance to participate in a local cultural speciality. “We knew that people wanted to do it, so we decided to form a group”.  The group is mainly comprised of Mallorcan people but anyone can join. Dig a little deeper and you find that there’s a lot of work to running a Dimoni group, and a lot of paperwork. The fireworks that they so liberally use on the nights of fire are strictly regulated and it is becoming a true labour of love for them to source and acquire the types of explosives that they can use.  “We have to argue that we need them for cultural reasons otherwise we cannot get them to the island” said Ramon. Although from the outside it seems to us safety conscious Brits that the Dimonis are haring around the streets with bombs there is in fact a strict safety protocol that they follow and every member of the Dragomonis is trained in how to handle the materials.

So we took up their invitation and last August Oliver and I went backstage with the Dimonis at another fiesta. It was the middle of the summer and extremely hot even late in the evening. When we arrived most of the prep had been done for the performance as it takes many hours prior to each event: the horns are loaded with fireworks and everything is checked and double checked beforehand. Nothing is done randomly, although it will seem that way: the whole event is planned meticulously. “Everything is under control, we have to think about a lot of things, we are watching people in the crowd all of the time” said Marga. As they prepared backstage we could feel the concentration deepening, and the group solidifying. There was a camaraderie amongst them which was appealing, and I started to feel that I wanted to be part of it. Even though I was terrified of the unpredictable bangs and the closeness of the sparks I began to understand the attraction of putting on a mask and participating. You could see the Correfoc as a live performance art form, and elements of the pagan Dimonis have emerged in street theatre and protest theatre performances. 

What’s it like to be a Dimoni I asked Asier just before they began. “When you put on your mask and see the people through those eyes it is fantastic. Although the noise of the explosions and the whistling of the fireworks are very loud you don’t really hear it, you absorb that sound; it is as if you are under water”.  I stand to the side of the area where they perform and watch. The band drums a relentless beat throughout. As Asier had said, the high pitched whistling sound of the fireworks begins to fade away as I watch the team of demons. Oliver, not afraid, is in the middle of the action shooting images. Marga and Asier dressed in their costumes and masks try to encourage me to run with them and dance under the fireworks and sparks: I don’t, it’s still too scary for me, but I do start to see the method in amongst the madness and notice the systems that they have to keep everyone safe. The fireworks are only lit in one place and then once they have stopped sparking they are disposed of in a specific area, and behind them at a discreet distance are the Bombers, the firemen.  The smell of spent fireworks hangs heavily in the air, a delicious scent of gunpowder: I suppose you either love it or hate it. I begin to realise this is also a chance for personal expression for the individual Dimonis. Who doesn’t want to go crazy and stir up some passions and emotions now and again? Later I ask Ramon what he thinks about the current condition of Spain “The future is not clear, we are fighting for our culture.” By dancing with fire and running their group with such passion they are doing exactly the right thing. It’s not just about being naughty it’s about enriching the local community and bringing the local people together. 

I don’t see the Dimonis  again for many months. Over the winter they perform again in Andratx. I am so excited to see them, and this time I do dance with them, leaping around the plaza like a crazy person, knowing that in their hands I am safe and it’s okay to just let go. Finally I understand the meaning of the words they have written on their blog in Catalan. “We cannot leave the evidence behind us, of adrenaline, images recorded in our retinas, of how we feel our bodies dance inside the rhythm of the drums. Connecting with the people through a force. We can only look at the photos and remember. We continue to leave traces of what they call history, because we like it, because we need it, and because the people do too”.

Look out for fire celebrations throughout the summer, many of the local fiestas in Mallorca will have a “Corre Foc” programmed.

The Andratx Dragonmonis perform at the Andratx fiestas in July, August, January and June. Do not miss them. They’re the best dancers.  You can find them on Facebook at Dimonis  Andratx or on their blog at www.Dimonis deandratx.blogspot.com.es  Some of the images from the fiestas will be exhibited in the August at the Night of Art in s’Arraco.

Text Vicki McLeod (www.mallorcastories.com)

Photos Oliver Neilson (www.phoenixmediamallorca.com)

 

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