The Folklore in Bolivia

Bolivia is one of the richest countries in traditions, rites, costumes, dances and customs maintained since the colonial days until our days.

The traditions of the former populations mingled with the traditions of the Spanish colonizers to achieve the half-breed customs and traditions that since then they are kept by a part of the population and they are revived in the folkloric feasts of the country, among which the following are outstanding:

· The famous Carnival in Oruro.
· The Gran Poder Entrance in La Paz city.
· The Entrance of Urkupiña Virgin of Cochabamba city.
· The feast of the Chutillos in Potosí.


In these festivities dancing groups, like La Diablada (DevilŽs dance). Morenada (Colonial Black Foremen dances), The Inkas, the Pujllay, the Caporales (the harsh Foremen, the Negritos (Blackies) the Llamarada (the llama-drivers dance), the Ahuatiris (the water carriers), the Tarqueada (a typical flute group of players and dancers), the Tinkus (native fighter-dancer), the Suri and many others.

In every dance characters of the Colonial times and mystical beings like the devil of the excavations (Supay) and the angels are represented.

The festivities present hundreds of dancers in a spree of colors and merriment in a strange mingles of paganism and Catholicism.

Another aspect of the Bolivian Folklore is its peculiar native musical instruments. At the rhythm of their melodies the dancers sing and dance offering delight to the local dwellers and the foreign.

The most outstanding musical instruments are as follows:

· El charango,
· La quena,
· El violín tarijeño,
· El erke,
· El pututu,
· El tamborcito,
· Las zampoñas and
· La matraca and others.