I've been soaked haha. Good vibes, pure joy, this is beautiful! This is the carnival of Oruro!! [Music] Guys, on this occasion we have traveled to Bolivia to live in our own flesh the carnival of Oruro 2023. This is simply fascinating the streets are filled with joy, noise, music, trade everywhere, delightful food people wearing the most shocking outfits. Really, there are people who prepare all year long for this event; the costumes are very complex. They are shiny, they have shields of different cities, one thing I define as simply magical. Let me tell you a little bit about this Carnival: it happens in the city of Oruro, such as its name tells us. A city that on a daily basis has a little more than 200,000 inhabitants but for the carnival welcomes more than 400,000 people and to understand a little bit of the origin of this carnival of why is it done we have to talk about the "uru - uru", that tells the story were the original inhabitants of this region the legends tell us that the inhabitants were saved by the "Virgen of the Socavón" because four great plagues were threatening; these plagues were lizards, toads, ants and snakes. What the Virgin did was that she petrified them then she saved the people of Oruro from these plagues, from this curse and that's basically why nowadays all this Carnival for the Virgin is made. Although it really is a thing super interesting because it's a mixture of cultures of the ancient world and the modern world we have the ancient deities as we could say the pachamama that it really is our mother earth, and which is honored as in no other place in the world and we have the most modern figures after colonization such as the Virgin of Oruro for whom is all this carnival. This Carnival also symbolizes things of social impact as is slavery, to overcome bad things and demons that each one carries inside. It's something so complex as it is beautiful and fascinating. I hope I have summarized it well because it really is too much information, let's go better to travel let's go to live it in the flesh to understand better why the carnival of Oruro is one of the biggest ones of all the planet. The most beautiful, joyful and colorful city of Oruro awaits us Let's go! [Music] I'm getting a little treat here - How it's called? the cocada? - No, la "morenada central", community cocal - Tell me how...are these coca leaves? - Exactly. We are the retailers who carve the coca elaves - So I have to chew these or leave them here all day long? - I chew them a little at a time - This is what it represents. The sacred leave of Bolivia. - I am already "cholita antigua" I represent the elegance of the cholita in the carnival we dance with all faith and devotion, with very elegant dancesteps for the Virgin. - Look here they will teach me how to make a spell like the cholitas antiguas. - How do I do the dancestep? - I am brown and that this life is to live, I am [intelligible] - This is the "Llamerada", consists of skirt of baize. The blouse and the Aguayo and the onda. The onda is what it the peasants use to herd llamas. - Oh, so it represents the herd of the llamas that it is very important for the bolivian culture. - Exactly. - How nice! I dedicate myself to herd llamas and the cattle too. The mask is, most of all, for the faith and devotion to the Virgin del Socavón. It represent the andean peasant, the drover of the llamas, paying respect to the Virgin of the Socavón, to her image. That's the most clear concept that can be given from the mask. - Look, our attire this year it's called "legend", is inspired by the cosmovision andean, in the three andean worlds. Here's the snake that is the underworld, here is the puma, which is the earthly world and the condor which is the world above. That is the andean trilogy. - Wooow! it's incredible, I love it! How long does it take to make an attire like this? - It takes at least two months to make it - Wow. It looks amazing. Congratulations Something that has me freaking out is that there are stalls with make-up artists, hairstylists everywhere! They advertise that they can do your make-up, they prepare you for the dance or just to attend the event and look appropriate for the occasion. Look, here we can see how these girls professional makeup artists, are working with these girls. - Ana tell me about it, how many years you've been doing hair and make-up? - I've been doing makeup for five years for the carnival of Oruro. The hairstyle its a braid that comes with a strap and the professional make-up. - I've been dancing since I'm 7 or 8 years old at the "Corzo infantil" that is something similar to the carnival, but for children. Since I turned 15 years old, it has passed three years, I dance in the carnival. I am clearly Orureña and to live this party year after year is spectacular to see how it progresses How the carnival is modernizing the colors and everything. Since I was a child I watched my dad dance in the "morenada cocani". Ever since I was 5 years old and watched the spectacular figures and well here I am, I'm about to enter to make my tour, and demonstrate the devotion and faith I have to the Virgin of the Socavón. I found Jaime who is a super interesting character inside the carnival. A few years ago, it was not culturally allowed for women to perform in the "morenada" dance, therefore men had to be characterized, like Jaime, with his ponytails, his skirt or the feminine dress, the mask, the hat such as the one the cholitas use. It's been a while since we can see women in the dance of the morenada, but Jaime is one of the few men who continues to represent this character 'cause it is still of a great cultural nature. - Jaime, how long have you been doing this? Tell me. - For 42 years. - Wooow! - I dance since im 8 years old. My dad used to dance from China I always went dancing behind my dad from China also. I like to dance I am a man, I have my children I am 68 years old. - See the shoes even that is such a thing no no no no, it's the heel, it's a beautiful thing! Show us a little bit [Music] Something extremely important I have not mentioned about the carnival of Oruro is that for more than 20 years it was declared as an intangible and oral heritage humanity by UNESCO Something that we have to understand is that they are not only two or three dances, there are 18 different types of dances among which they highlight the morenada, llamarada diablada, tinku Caporales. There is one that is called "the culiaguada" that I have not had the fortune to see, but I imagine that it must be for those of us who are "culiaguados" , like me. Luisillo dancing in the culiaguada hahaha It is a huge cultural event, very complicated to understand 100% The diablada is a of the dances that have called my attention the most. Basically there are many people who are characterized as a little devil they walk being guided by the Archangel and march to the church of the Virgin of the Socavón, where they finally put on their knees. One could say that there's when they surrender themselves to the virgin and in that moment, somehow the demons get controlled and for the last trip to the church they have to walk on their knees. A thing with a lot of meaning, especially for how beautiful it is to see the feeling that people who dance put on it, what represents them. How much effort they put into their costumes, how much they save for this season of the year. Within the diablada there are also the women devils who are called "china supae" that according to the belief tempt you to commit the sin. Here we see that they are passing guided by the Archangel as part of this set of diablada. [Music] Look at this, this a quirquincho. What this It's a rattle and is the animal, is the quirquincho, so that's like an armadillo or what? oh but... - Now its a rattle... Ah I get you now, it's a real animal! Oh wow! I get it. See how interesting. It's a real stuffed animal and wow what it looks like hard, they reinforce it with wood it stays hollow and in this way it can make an instrument. - Hey how interesting! what region is it from? Oruro? - Yes, Oruro. - Wow I'm fascinated eh - The quirquincho lives in the Altiplano - Only here. The quirquincho Wow! I had never seen this animal before and much less I knew they made instruments with it. That's crazy! and see this: the quikincho here and I share the same hat! How about that? Luisillo the quiriquincho! new nickname. [Music] You have to keep in mind that if you come to the carnival of Oruro, they're going to foam a lot of foam at you, ok? haha Curious observation: in theory on saturday you don't drink. I am drinking, but in theory you are not supposed to and on sunday everyone drinks! In fact, on sunday everything we saw is the same but with the dancers drinking, therefore the atmosphere changes. Honestly it is a very succulent carnival at the same time that cultural is extremely joyful no no no they are already throwing oranges at me I've been soaked haha. You have to come mentally prepared let's get on with! (x2) I was fortunate to to meet Jorge who is tinku comes from the Quechua language which means "encounter" and basically the dance that Jorge represents is it a battle, an encounter, a ritual made dance - You were telling me Jorge, that your helmet here is made of cowhide, is made of leather. and this, wow, if it is for a real combat, right? - Yes I want you to check this out. This is for real very and tough, you can hold on a few good hits. How long have you been doing this Jorge? - This is my second year. I started last year , it is a joy to be able to wear these colors for the Virgin and to arrive and I kept my three-year promise [Making noises with the mouth] Those are all the steps we mark to the sound of music. [Music] Wow I just witnessed a dance of the morenada this is a lot of information that I've been told. I'm going to try to sum it up. Basically it's a dance that is done to symbolize the slaves for years in this mining area there are many characters inside the fraternity that dances the morenada and all have very traditional attires, very striking. Of course we have the moreno which is represented in a way very ostentatious it is a suit that weighs little more than 30 kilos has to walk about 4 km with him it. Listen to this, this sound here symbolizes the chains that were dragging in the same way when dance have to go in unison symbolizing when they were going on chains all walking to the same time and in the same way we can see how the eyes are sprung the tongue outside, this symbolizing the tiredness that indeed tiredness and the slaves arrived such that the eyes were popped. In the same way, the attire has the miner's helmet that in fact this helmet is the symbol of Oruro because as it is a mining city when you are entering Oruro, you see the big hull that is very nice and yes, that is why the Moreno's costume also have it. Traditionally called the costume of the Moreno [Music] Morenada central! [Cheering] Morenada central! [Cheering] Morenada central! [Cheering] Morenada central! [Cheering] Im keep up with this [Music] [Music and chanting] [Noise, music, laughs and chanting] [Music] Check this out. This is a tradition of the carnival. And it's that someone throws you their hat so you dance with the hat and then you give it back to them. Look! He gave me his hat, I dance here with it and it goes back! [Applause] Dancing with the hat, and let's give it back Something of what I have realized is that I was talking to you at the beginning of the plagues, well many of the dancers have on their uniform some of the pests have perhaps a hat of frog a snake hat here have an animal and like this they symbolize the plagues and when they arrive to the church as they succumb to the virgin. I got to listen well to the chants Some of them are cunnin! There's one that gave me a good laugh that says: Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo what a laugh that gives me the horns that I put you and you don't realize jo jo jo jo jo they laugh! they mock about the horns and all dancing there in the dance of the infidelity and then there is another one which is for the coca leaf so far one grouping all with coca leaves and they sang all with coca leaves: coca leaves it's not cocaine coca it's not cocaine, coca is the sacred leave of sacred Bolivia Bolivia and they keep on going well, they sing their hymn to the coce that everybody likes coce very much that it's not cocaine. Wow everyone of Bolivia are represented now are passing the towns of the amazon which are all the dances Toba so we can see a diffent attire a different rhythm and everything has a symbology for example behind the amazonian villages suddenly pass by some with a Christian cross that could be symbolizing as to the colonization in the same way always always behind those of the amazonian peoples, an old man passes dancing alone because represents that the old man is always the wisest all has a symbolism all has a symbolism all has a meaning and all people are represented. I now understand why it is such an important cultural event [Music] The night fell, the rain fell and this keeps on going. In fact it has a special charm at night because the costumes have lights some have fire, I've been told that this goes on and on until four o'clock five o'clock in the morning and tomorrow it starts early at 7:00 for the party for life, it's beautiful! [Music] Guys, this is how it concludes This is how my experience concludes from the carnival of Oruro. One thing simply beautiful I recommend visit if you ever have the opportunity don't waste the carnival of Oruro does not disappoint is cultural it's fun it's joyful it's just beautiful if you will supplement with some information people who know the subject please down here in the comments and well We'll meet, as you know it, in a few days with a new video. Bye!