Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico - October 17, 2019 - As a photographer, I'm driven to photograph the details of life which peak my curiosity. Find something you don't understand, and get up close. This passion culminated in my experience at the Carnaval in Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico.
Stumbling upon the weekend festivities, I began to gravitate to the center of the party, El Chinelo. The masked, bearded, beaded, tunic-wearing mascot of this small tourist town.
A few months before, I had been startled by this legend Tepozteco culture. I began photographing their role within the passing of cultural norms, traditions, and history. Speaking to locals about the Chinelo's role in they're lives.
Like many traditions, it comes from an organic expression of human interaction, before taking on a life of its own through each generation. It also comes with a bit of baggage.
Along with life and happiness, this tradition expresses the suffering endured throughout Spanish colonial rule, and it's modern-day scars.
With enough alcohol, music, & food to go around, the Carnval in Tepoztlan expresses the full emotional gamut, represented by the odd-looking character of the Chinelo, culminating with the 'Brinco del Chinelo.'
-Rodrigo