Inti Raymi: Fiesta del Sol
We arrived at the Plaza de Ponchos where, to the sides of the normal artisan market, they had built bleachers and a stage in preparation for the festivities.
For a month every summer, the Sierra shakes as every indigenous town in the area throws a party in celebration of the harvest. Both days and nights are filled with music, dancing, animals, costumes and merrymaking in traditional Incan style.
During the day, different groups of 10-20 people perform around the main square, in traditional dress, costumes, face paint, sometimes on horses, sometimes carrying live chickens hanging from a branch. Once the sun goes down though, everyone joins in the circle dancing. The musicians cluster in the center with harmonica, guitar, flute, and drums, and turn as they play. The crowd encircles them and the entire dancing entity spins as a musical wheel. Whenever the crowd is so inspired, someone calls "Vuelta!" which is quickly followed by an echo of vueltas everyone in the wheel turns around and starts the wheel spinning the other direction. With an loud "uno, dos, trece" the entire circle replies with a rhythmic chant of "he he he he."
The dancing wheels then circulate around the main square, down side streets and back to the square again. People flow in and out of the wheels, each wheel with its own character. I left the party at dawn as some were still dancing while others were already beginning to set up their stalls again for the the days artisan market.
For a month every summer, the Sierra shakes as every indigenous town in the area throws a party in celebration of the harvest. Both days and nights are filled with music, dancing, animals, costumes and merrymaking in traditional Incan style.
During the day, different groups of 10-20 people perform around the main square, in traditional dress, costumes, face paint, sometimes on horses, sometimes carrying live chickens hanging from a branch. Once the sun goes down though, everyone joins in the circle dancing. The musicians cluster in the center with harmonica, guitar, flute, and drums, and turn as they play. The crowd encircles them and the entire dancing entity spins as a musical wheel. Whenever the crowd is so inspired, someone calls "Vuelta!" which is quickly followed by an echo of vueltas everyone in the wheel turns around and starts the wheel spinning the other direction. With an loud "uno, dos, trece" the entire circle replies with a rhythmic chant of "he he he he."
The dancing wheels then circulate around the main square, down side streets and back to the square again. People flow in and out of the wheels, each wheel with its own character. I left the party at dawn as some were still dancing while others were already beginning to set up their stalls again for the the days artisan market.
posted by Alexandra @ 5:12 PM
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