|
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Zozobra To Honor Man Who Was His Voice
Associated Press
SANTA FE — Zozobra will be in mourning when he goes up in flames Thursday night, opening the Santa Fe Fiesta.
The white, 49-foot-high marionette will be sporting black-and-white wrist bands, a tie and cummerbund to honor Harold Gans, who was the puppet's moaning and groaning voice for four decades.
Gans, a Santa Fe native, died April 5 in Norman, Okla. He was 85.
The contractor in charge of building Zozobra since 1994, Ray Valdez, says he also plans to slip in a short recording of Gans' Zozobra voice during the burning.
The fiery ritual, which dates back to 1924, is intended to burn away a year's worth of troubles.
Gans was the voice of Zozobra from 1951 until 1996, howling through loudspeakers as the puppet went up in flames.
Gans missed a year at the microphone in 1982 after suffering a heart attack.
Copyright ©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
