South Africa – Coon Carnival or Kaapse Klopse
Described as “a spirited cultural music and dance celebration,” the event was known as Coon Carnival for years prior to an official name change. Reportedly, the “coon” part came from visitors whose face paint made them look like raccoons. South African carnival performers were influenced by white American musicians who performed minstrels and donned Blackface. They can be seen in an annual New Year’s street party held on January 2 called Tweede Nuwe Jaar.
Venezuela – La Negrita
Like many Latin American and Caribbean countries, Venezuela has an annual carnival. In the 1950s and 1960s, costumes began to be more outrageous. The negritas costume was introduced to the Venezuelan carnival when white wives wanted to join their husbands in the festivities. They applied makeup to make themselves look Black and wore afro wigs as a disguise to seduce their husbands as a test of fidelity
