each year loiza has a if he felt val featuring these characters.king the masks. >> in the spanish tradition, remember, it represents the moors. a lot of them. because the moors invaded spain for eight centuries. that was a type of war between them and they tried to get them out. >> okay. they didn't like them for two reasons. you're muslim and you're not our people. >> uh-huh. [ laughter ] >> they use a grotesque mask and costume with wings because the spaniard had to represent the moors in a bad way for them. and loiza made all the masks for them. >> the masks have a long history. back in spain in the 1500s they had festivals celebrating the defeat of the black muslim moors by the white christian spanish. they would represent the scary dark invadeers. when the tradition came to puerto rico, it meaning completely got switched. as the culture added the more elaborate ma elaborate masks and the africans added drums, it began to represent strength and defiance of colonial rule. it went from representing white people kicking out black people to a sign

and loiza made all the masks for for vigilanties. >> the masks have a long history.lebrating the defeat of the black muslim moors by the white christian spanish. they would represent the scary dark invaders. when the tradition came to puerto rico, it meaning completely got switched. as the culture added the more elaborate masks and the africans added drums, it began to represent strength and defiance of colonial rule. it went from representing white people kicking out black people to a sign of black people's strength. like "la la land" moonlight and not so fast, gozling. >> so, this is one of the masks that they use. and it is made in coconut. i have here the whole process. >> okay. >> once you select the coconut with the machete, have to cut it -- >> oh, wow. >> like you have to go down? >> this way i have to clean it in the way that you can put your face. >> okay. >> this is too short. [ laughter ] >> need a bigger coconut. >> yes. >> you do that with this in with this? >> with those knives you turn this to this. >> yes. once it's ready, i paint it like this. >> wo