It was Wednesday ashes so most comparsas were having a rest. We went to visit a small village near Tilcara , named Maimará, “falling star” in aborigin language.
One of the highlights is the cemetery and the impressive background it has... but we couldn't resist to capture this signal...we walked along its streets, with inviting benches... a shadow appeared, but it vanished before we could talk to it ..We later went back to Tilcara and to one of its attractions.. in the road we found these boys, playing beside one Mojon..Pucará is an Inca language Quechua word and its literal translation is "Fortified Place".It is built on top of a hill, which rises about 70 metres above the bed of the Río Grande River, occupying close to 15 hectares.

It was an ideal defensive position, on one-side cliffs overlooking the river, on the other side steep hillsides and on the accessible parts, they built a defensive wall. From this old strategic place there is a wonderful encompassing view over the access to the Gorge.

carnival's nights..

Follow our night carnivals feast in this clip HERE..
It's time now to see the carnival by night.. you walk the streets and just have to follow the sound of the music.. they will be playing and dancingall comparsas are invited by night, too, to different houses..
some depart from the square, and others just finish there... tired devils, or just enthusiastic musicians …
Some houses prepare big recipients full of beverage, wine with orange juice and we were gently invited by these devils to take one and drink it till the end! (previously we had to allow them cover our face and hair with talc, artificial snow and no, we will not publish those images! =)

Purmamarca, talc and some festive parrots..

Take a look at the clip related to this post HERE

We went to see how were the comparsas doing at Purmamarca, a beautiful small village at la Quebrada de Humahuaca, near Tilcara.. its name means "village in virgin land" and it is famous because of the mountain of the seven colours..
We entered the village but we saw nothing carnival's special except some festive parrots..
but when leaving we found a house were one of the comparsas was invited.. during all these days these groups will go to homes that invite and homage them...
copleros... dances.. talc and artificial snow.. some old ladies drinking "saratoga", what seems orange juice but it is has veeery much alcoholic degrees...the feast was there too, and we summed to them!

devils and more..

To see clips of this post click here

On Saturday later, we went to Uquia, to the mojon near the cemetery, where the band had begun to play
we waited, knowing that the comparsa would come down the hill, but we didnt expect the amazing view we would see!

Devils began to appear , fireworks to explode and hundred of lights multiplied by the mirror the dresses had... devils use mirrors to reflect and to reject the negative energies that they can suffer like all human being.
And they wear masks because it is considered there is no social class in carnival, that is why also they play and whiten with talc, to erase who they are in these days of carnival, and thus to be able to enjoy equal to equal..

The devils came down and mixed with people, one took the devil buried and showed to the rest, who spreader beer, wine, talc and foam to celebrate the carnival beginning...

how to un-bury a devil.. first part

follow our story here with sound and clips.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-06R51jRrPI
We began Saturday deciding to go to Uquia, a small city near Tilcara, around 5 pm, where they would un-bury the carnival. But when we went to the main square at Tilcara at noon, we saw some musicians, from one comparsa. the town has several comparsas and each has its own site to un-bury the Carnival. These musician were prepared to go to the mojon, a pile of stones where the devil was buried They began playing and walking and we went after them..

once arrived at el mojon, they watered the Earth and the pile with beer and wine, they threw leaves of coca and ignited cigarettes. It was decorated with serpentines, garlands, wool, flowers, basil, etc. The maize plant offered like symbol of fertility of the Earth.

Sudenly a young boy and an old lady came near the mojon, and dig up of the pile the doll representing the devil, The Diablito or Pu Jillay: symbol of the carnival, who brings joy and good luck. The band got crazy playing and so did the people (and us).

After being bathed in water, beer, talc and others (and our cameras trying to survive) we left that special un bury to go to another even more fantastic...
but this , we will show you tomorrow..

unexpected feast..

We had decided to use Friday before carnival to explore La quebrada and find the schedule for Saturday at all villages. We went to Uquia, a small village 30 km from Tilcara, as we knew the best unburied of carnival would be there.
Although, we found such surprise...
At the village, at very time we arrive, it was begining a feast.. fiesta de la chicha y la copla!
(Chicha is a beverage with aborigines origins that can be made of corn or peanuts, fermented..)
When we entered, we found many copleras and copleros, (see our previous post ) waiting to sing.. They had come from different villages of Jujuy and also from different provinces...


There were some playing erquencho, that instrument made with a horn..
Others only with their voices and their caja, that round little drum that they hang in one wrist and play..
you will see most of them have bunches of basil, that is the symbol of the carnival...
At the end, there was a dance of many of our native rhytms..
if you want to listen these copleros and see dancing, please click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSPz3_iI1P8

Saturday was the unbury of carnival at Uquía.. devils, dust, music and breathtaking feast.. Sunday we will post part of it!

jueves de comadres... godmothers' thursdays..

We have begun our trip to carnival at northwest.We will live from within, along with the locals, one of the most important, the real, traditional festival of the Northwest Argentina. An Andean celebration, full of native root’s rituals and ceremonies. The devil is the figure that represents Carnival. It enables people to get rid of their negative aspects that were repressed during the year.
We decided to arrive one day earlier to may capture a special event. On Thursday before Saturday of carnival takes place Thursday godmothers (jueves de comadres), the day dedicated to women who meet in different places like the Square, the market, where they wish a good carnival, they invite drinks, food, but more important are the songs (coplas) they share. They sing all afternoon, they form circles and dance and they throw people and themselves talc and wear garland of flowers and colourful papers
Before going to see these comadres we found some members of one of the groups that will be present when carnival be unburied next Saturday..

Although, not all public was happy with the loud music..
We then went to the main square at Tilcara where comadres were ready...

Coplas are simple phrases, singed from the heart to express sorrows, love.. to just describe life in all aspects.. voices go direct as an arrow to the heart of the spectator, even not knowing what words mean....

Maybe you would like to feel them now?

you can click here, and after a brief introduction of a man playing the erquencho, you will see las comadres.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnKV2WiW-L4
we didn't know at that time, but the following day would bring us more surprises related to copleras...