Bolivia

People and Culture

Unlike Brazil, Bolivia is a small country and is home to less than 9 million people and yet it covers a land which is twice the size of France. Nearly half the population live in the 3 biggest cities. This is quite a big change as up until the mid 1980’s, the majority of Bolivians (approximately three quarters of them) lived in rural areas. Due to economic hardships, people have been leaving the rural areas to search for work in the cities; hence many former farmers have had to adjust from their traditional rural lifestyles, to living in large urban areas.

Payacota San Lucas Shell

Almost two-thirds of Bolivian people are indigenous people of South America. Although there are approximately three-dozen indigenous groups, the largest are the Quechua-speaking groups (2.5 million people), the Aymara (2 million people) and the Chiquitano (180,000 people). There are also Mestizo people (mixed European and indigenous) and those from European ancestry, probably dating back to 1532 when Spanish adventurers (called ‘conquistadores’) invaded Bolivia, having heard about its vast deposits of silver.

Potosi, which was once ‘the richest city on earth’ had the largest silver mine in the 1500s. Between the Spanish conquistadores, and later the English tradesmen, the mines of Potosi were stripped of their silver, using the indigenous Bolivians and African slaves to extract the silver under harsh conditions of slavery. Today the mines are still worked by locals, in an attempt to find any remaining wealth, although since the Europeans departed, there is little hope of discovering any more ‘veins’.

Music

large pan pipes; Silvia Barone

The Andean regions of South America (Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia) are known for their panpipe music, and Bolivia has one of the strongest traditions in music. A lot is played on pan-pipes of various sizes, each with different names: zampoña, quena and siku. Also popular is a small type of guitar called ‘charango’, traditionally made from an Armadillo shell. (An Armadillo is a toothless, nocturnal animal native to South America) Other common Bolivian musical instruments include skin drums, bronze cymbals and copper (cow) bells.

Dancing

Carnaval-Tobas dance

Bolivian dances are a good example of where Native and European cultures combine. For example, the dance of the ‘Waka-tokoris’, often danced by the Native Americans, is influenced by the bullfights – a Spanish tradition. Another popular one is the ‘Diablado’ (dance of the devil) where the Bolivian dancers wear masks that depict the devil believed to live in the mines. Dancing in its honour is thought to please the devil and bring safety to the miners. Many dance festivals are accompanied by brass bands.

Festivals

All of the festivals in Bolivia include dances, special costumes and lots of music! Most large festivals are based around church holidays, including the best-known one in Bolivia: ‘El carnival de Oruro’. It includes special dance celebrations, as described above, and also attracts many tourists. Other festivals are based on indigenous beliefs, like the Aymaran New Year – which coincides with the winter solstice.

Religion

The majority of Bolivians consider themselves Catholic, regardless of whether they are regular church goers, and many public holidays during the year are based around Catholic celebrations. However, many indigenous Bolivians believe in a more holistic view of the world, known as ‘Andean Cosmo-vision’. This is based on nature, the role of ‘Pacha Mama’ (mother earth) and the sun and lunar cycles. Festivals in the rural areas often reflect this nature worship. Furthermore, traditional ‘Yataris’ (medicine doctors) who base their treatment on plant, mineral and animal extracts are widely used in rural areas.

Famous People

May 25th 1998 Bernardo Guarachi fulfilled a lifetime dream of reaching the highest point on earth. When he gained the summit of Mount Everest at 6am, he became the first Bolivian and the first Native South American Indian to do so.

For Bernardo Guarachi it is a day's work- guiding yet another party to the summit of Illimani at 21,201 feet, over a thousand feet higher than North America's highest mountain. Guarachi and many indigenous people in La Paz have a special relationship with Illimani .  From his office and much of La Paz one can see this multicrowned peak.  Its distinctive shape appears everywhere around town-- on the city seal, chocolate wrappers, postage stamps, and beer bottles and as a character in the annual folklore parade "El Gran Poder".  Bernardo says of the mountain,  "Illimani plays a very important role for the citizen of La Paz-- for three quarters of them it is the great Achachila or Wirajocho (translated "King of the High Mountains of the Cordillera Real" and also "Great God Owner of Water").

Once a year, in August, the inhabitants of the region carry out a ceremonial sacrifice with the blood of a white llama, which represents richness-- so that Illimani may possess sufficient water.  After the ceremony people celebrate, there is music and dancing with white banners.  Wirajocho is revered as the chief of the mountains, owner of all the forces nature."  For Bernardo's people, this and other Andean peaks are sacred.   He treats each ascent with care and respect, asking Illimani 's permission to ascend.  "This I do in the following manner: a moment of silence without moving, eyes closed, and in this moment I think only of Illimani .  My request to Illimani is what permits me to penetrate this gigantic body and allows me and my clients to return safe and sound. This is an act of respect towards the mountain.  I do this with other mountains as well."  The indigenous people of the Andes have held the high peaks sacred for centuries.  

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Colonial architecture in Sucre; Zoe Hopkins

rural band; Silvia Barone

Carnaval; Morenada

Bernardo Guarachi