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Calendar of Feast of Cusco
Folklore in
Cusco
Cusco
is a universe of dances, inheritance from the
Inca
times and that they also conserved from all the towns
and nations that conquered. Many of their dances also
have the inheritance of Spain, with great influence of
the Christian religion.
Today's religious feasts, give origin to the big
dances where fine dresses, beautifully decorated and
embroidered, with multicolored suits are worn,
accompanied by their music and song.
In Cusco's rural areas, the way
people dress makes an important distinction, as a result
of the blend of pre-Hispanic influences with the
European clothing that the natives were forced to wear
during the colonial era.
The Music & Dances, thanks to the
recent archaeological discoveries of musical
instruments, experts now know that in Peru, music has
been played at least as far back as 10,000 years ago.
Among the main dances we can mention the Kachampa of
Inca origin, the "Sijlla" (or dance of the doctors) of
Spanish influence, the dance of the "Chunchos", the "Pusamorenos",
the "Llameros", and the "Camiles", among many others.
Festivals and rituals in Cusco: Cusco
celebrates some hundreds festivals a year. Most of them
are held in homage to a patron saint and are part of the
Christian calendar adopted in colonial times, although
they have blended with the magical beliefs of ancient
forms of worship
The
celebrations
of the Holy Week, Carnivals, Corpus Christi, and the
feast of "Señor de los Temblores" (Lord of the
Earthquakes),
have special significance for cusquenians,
becoming a great folkloric expression of their people.
Inti Raymi:
The maximum expression of folklore from the people of
Cusco is given in the
Inti Raymi. The Winter
Solstice in the southern hemisphere and the local
harvests are the driving force behind the greatest, most
majestic pre-Hispanic ceremony to render homage to the
sun. Today, the Inti Raymi festival evokes the splendid
Inca ritual of yore, being carefully scripted by Cusco
professors, archaeologists and historians. The central
event is acted out on the esplanade below the imposing
fortress of
Sacsayhuaman,
2 km outside the city of Cusco, easily reached by car or
on foot. There, step by step, thousands of actors enact
a long ceremony giving thanks to the sun god, Inti. The
Inca ruler is borne on a royal litter from the
Koricancha, or
Temple of the Sun to the Huacaypata, the city's main
square, where he commands the local authorities to
govern fairly.
Crafts in
Cusco
Peru and
Cusco
boasts one of the largest varieties of arts and crafts
on Earth. The diversity, color, creativity and multiple
functions of Peru's folk art has made it a fundamental
activity not just for Peru's cultural identity, but also
as a way of life for thousands of families and even
entire communities
Cusco , the towns of "
Valle Sagrado de los
Incas" (Sacred Valley of
the Incas) and the
towns around, have a
considerable range of handmade production, much of it is
an inheritance of their
Incas
ancestors.
Outstanding the elaboration of fabrics, especially
those of alpaca wool made by hand, imagery, ceramic,
sculptures and miniatures. In the city of Cusco, it is
recommended to visit
San Blas's neighborhood, in which numerous
artists and artisans live. In San Blas the artisans like
the Mendívil, Olave and Merida families have reached the
international fame for the quality of their works.
A good opportunity to buy beautiful crafts and to
take contact with the native artisans is on Sunday where
fairs are organized. Outstanding the ones celebrated in
Pisac and
Chinchero.
Crafts in silver and gold jewels also have a great
local artistic expression.
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