Roba la Gallina
OK, time for Carnaval fun stuff............
Origin
“Roba la Gallina” is a famous character found in every city of the Dominican Republic during this massive celebration. According to the Dominican “Veganos” (people from La Vega) the character originates from the Haitian occupation of the Dominican Republic from 1822 to 1844.
At that time, or so the story goes, people who were caught stealing their neighbors or in fact anybody’s chickens were punished by having chicken feathers stuck to their bodies and were forced to walk like that in public.
Costume and role
Robalagallina
The “Roba la Gallina” / chicken thief character is typically a man dressed as a woman – presumably meant to be a woman who steals chickens – but before she is caught and punished.
Dressed in colorful, flamboyant dresses, with exaggerated hips and make-up, the “Roba la Gallina” usually carries a big purse filled with candies to through into the gathered crowd. The purse symbolises where the woman would hide her stolen chicken.
The “Roba la Gallina” is one of the most popular and funny of all the Carnaval Dominicano characters. They dance and shake their large bottoms, singing “ti-ti manatí, ton ton, molondrón, roba la gallina, palo con ella!”
Raudy Torres, the Dominican Republic’s most famous ”Robalagallina”