Bolivia, 2001
Bolivia, 2001
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A Fiesta in Cliza
Copyright: Jim Ciotti, 2001
Saturday, July 14, 2001
Click on Images for Enlargement
On Saturday we went to
Cliza. Cliza is a small, sleepy town about a half an hour west of
Cochabamba by bus.
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Jim - standing in the
central plaza of Cliza. LIfe in most towns in Latin America
revolves around its central plaza. |
Marketplaces are the supermarkets
of much of Latin America. They are another center of
community life. This is Cliza's market. |
Anne is leaving the public
bathroom. Often, the public bathroom is the focal point of a
gringo's life
in Latin America. |
Many of the women in Bolivia
dress like this. The bright cloth on the woman's back is used to
carry babies, groceries, or whatever. |
Trucks such as these are used to
haul both goods and people back and forth across Bolivia. |
The reason for our visit
was to participate in the festival of the Virgin of Carmen, an important saint
in Bolivia and throughout Latin America. Although this is a Roman Catholic
event, the way it is celebrated is strongly influenced by indigenous,
pre-Colombian traditions. First, an image of the Virgin of Carmen
(in this case, an ornate picture) is brought to Cliza main church mounted on a
pickup truck. Then, a long parade consisting of groups of characters you
wouldn't expect to see at your average gringo St. Anthony's dance their way on a
winding route through the town which ends at the Virgin. Each group has its own type of
dance and is
accompanied by drums and a brass band.
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| A large picture
of the Virgin of Carmen arrives at the church in a decorated truck and
is parked in its doorway |
In keeping with
the solemnity of the occasion, men set off exploding rockets as they
accompany the parade. |
The "diablada" or devil
dancers are the most glitzy of the dancers.
The "Tinku"
groups have an interesting history. "Tinku" was a practice in
the rural areas in which champions of different communities fought, often to the
death. Tinku has largely disappeared but still exists in remote areas.
Tinku groups ritualize this practice with dancing rather than
fighting.
Dancers from Tarabuco, a
town near the city of Sucre, use native instruments and dress. The
Tarabucaņos were fierce fighters who won begrudging respect from the
Spaniards.
However, there are many
other types of groups - all rely upon gaudy costumes, flashy dancing, and
noise.
Ciao,
Jim (and Anne)
Bolivia, 2001
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