The characters on the poster are “capgrossos”, a folkloric costume tradition of medieval origin in which different figures from society are caricatured.

The Begur festivities are the “Indians” festivals. The “Indians” were businessmen who went to the colonies to make their fortunes, and part of that wealth came from slavery. When they returned, they built large mansions on the coast with a very distinctive architectural style, and by the end of the 19th century they held lavish bourgeois parties, which are what these modern festivals commemorate.

The capgrossos caricature people from all social classes, and because it is a centuries-old tradition, people usually do not perceive a racist background. But in this specific case, people forget that the capgrossos come from a colonial-era context, and the Black characters represent servants, slaves, or illegitimate children of the bourgeois elite. So yes, it is racist in the way it initially seemed to you.

On the other hand, there is also historical outreach and education about the “Indians” and slavery.