Xenerais da Ulla

The Generals of Ulla are mounted riders who, during Carnival, travel across the parishes of ten councils dressed as soldiers, shouting cheers to local residents and engaging in verbal duels called atranques.

I photographed this tradition for four years, trying to freeze it in time and to show its complexity. The biggest challenge was finding a way to tell something inherently lively—full of chants, spoken verses, and confrontation—with silent images.

Contrary to what its own protagonists claim, the tradition of the Xenerais da Ulla originates in the Baroque festivities of Santiago de Compostela in the 16th and 17th centuries—a living expression of the European Baroque world.

The book Os Xenerais da Ulla was published in 2024 as a self-produced edition supported by the Galician Government.