Bolivia: Oruro carnival, intangible cultural heritage of humanity

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*Oruro carnival brings dance and music to the city *Over 50,000 men and women dance for 3.5 km *Most ancient and classic dances have religious and social backgrounds *The pilgrimage concludes before the image of the virgin *UNESCO declared the carnival of Oruro intangible cultural heritage of humanity

Transcript

00:00 It's said that the Oruro Carnival began like this, as a procession that evolved into a pilgrimage,

00:05 and this pilgrimage into dance and music.

00:08 The devotion we have towards Mamita de Socavón, the Saturdays of pilgrimage are for her.

00:14 We dance in devotion for her, for every favor she fulfills for us, because we are believers.

00:22 I come every year.

00:23 The Little Virgin always fulfills me.

00:26 Greetings for my family.

00:29 By faith to Mamita de Socavón, who gives us life and health, and we will continue dancing

00:35 until Mamita gives us life and health.

00:38 But above all, because we have faith.

00:41 This carnival performs 20 dance specialties as the local authorities of the event say,

00:47 which are performed by more than 50,000 dancers, men and women, who dance for three and a half

00:53 kilometers to reach the shrine of the Virgin de Socavón.

00:58 Spectacular.

00:59 We once a year travel from Chile, because we are from Chile.

01:02 It is incomparable.

01:04 We brought our daughter for the first time, and she was fascinated.

01:07 It is something that does not compare to any carnival.

01:11 It is majestic, as they say, in honor of the Virgin de Socavón.

01:15 It's something expected every year in Bolivia, nationally and internationally, because we

01:20 expect 100% Bolivians in the carnival of Oruro, where all the dances are 100% Bolivian.

01:28 We come from La Paz.

01:29 It is a very nice tradition.

01:31 All the dances are very elegant, very nice.

01:34 We are having fun.

01:35 Long live the carnival.

01:37 The most ancient and classic dances have a religious and social feeling, like the Diablada,

01:44 whose origin is lost in the time before the Spanish colonialism.

01:48 But when this took place, it meant once again that the struggle between good and evil, in

01:54 the end, the archangel Gabriel, guided by the Virgin, defeats the demons, and together

02:00 they enter the Catholic Church.

02:03 To thank her for all that she gives us, this pilgrimage is a promise to offer, through

02:09 dancing, our gratitude, our faith, strengthened in the affection towards the Virgin, happy

02:15 to come at her feet.

02:19 After 20 years, we are still on pilgrimage for the little virgins of Socavón, always

02:24 for Mamita.

02:26 In this state, the pilgrimage.

02:28 Or the Morenada, which relieves the transfers of slaves from Africa on foot to the mines

02:33 of Potosí, on the high plateau, at 4000 meters above the sea level, with almost no oxygen,

02:40 their tongues hang out of their mouths and their eyes bulge out of their sockets.

02:44 Their rattle reproduces the sound of the chains the pilgrimage concludes on their knees before

02:50 the image of the Virgin.

02:52 Tiring, very tiring.

02:54 It is four kilometers, very strong march to get here with masks, to arrive at the little

02:59 virgin, but we fulfilled a new year.

03:01 It is my first year dancing, but it is a very nice experience.

03:06 I feel very blessed by this Virgin of Socavón, very happy to be three years old.

03:12 Are you going to continue?

03:14 If the little virgin allows me to do so, of course I will.

03:17 Each dance has a meaning, and here are represented the indigenous dances of the Amazon and the

03:23 main customs of various people of Bolivia.

03:27 By 50,000 dancers, nearly 20,000 musicians distributed in 70 bands, this cultural expression

03:34 has been recognized by UNESCO as oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

03:40 [ Foreign Language ]

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