CIM: You are an institution at the carnival in Cologne with the “Red Sparks” carnival society. Why are you appearing in China?
Heinz-Günther Hunold: It’s our job to spread the word about the carnival and make it even more well known. So it is important to us to absorb external influences and take on board how the world is developing. We need to maintain our customs, carnival and language but at the same time remain open to what’s new and incorporate it in our work. Preserving traditions is not a question of looking after the ashes but of passing on the flame! So at the next carnival sessions in Cologne we will be performing a Chinese dance we learned here.
Do the Chinese understand your message?
You couldn’t exactly say they understand it – but you can see the message in the eyes and hearts of the people. “Don’t take yourselves so seriously” – that’s the traditional message of the Red Sparks. The society was anti-militaristic in its origins, so there is a message of peace in there as well.
How do the Chinese respond to you?
I believe there are 1.3 billion people in China – and there must be 2.6 billion cameras! They certainly like to take their photographs. But what really surprised us was how often they joined in with traditional dances with such spontaneity. When you perform Chinese folk songs together with Cologne band De Höhner and the Chinese audience does the carnival Stippeföttche dance with you, you’ve achieved everything, haven’t you? It shows we are building a simple and inviting emotional bridge.
What are the biggest organisational challenges here in China for the 116 members of the society who came?
We are very demanding and see ourselves as service providers to our travel party. For example, we aim to ensure that when our members enter their hotel room, their cases are already there. That’s not so easy here. We surprise our members with gifts in their rooms to help them forget any minor aggravations they may have had. Our own members are our customers and we need to keep them happy!
Where have the “Red Sparks” been on tour abroad?
In the 1920s to Paris and later to America and Namibia, for example. Since the 1990s we have done a major tour every five years, most recently to Brazil and Japan.
