ORURO’S CARNIVAL , BOLIVIA

Oruro is situated at the height of the Altiplano in Bolivia ,3700m in high altitude over the sea .
In this mining town , without any interest during the rest of the year, begins an absolute must when rings the time of it’s carnival...
Oruro’s carnival is the biggest of the country, and it unfolds around the 5 or 6 of February for one week of craziness. Bolivian carnival is made from pagan believes, Christian religion, and Andes ‘folklore. It pays homage to the good and the wrong, to the Virgin of the Christian Candeleria and to the pagan devil incarnated by Tio, the mine's demon. It also reflects Oruro’s History.
The Columbian's rituals which had been practiced by the Uru’s tribues was forbidden by the Spanish in the XVII century. Like it happens often in Latin America, the ancestral believes don’t have disappeared nowadays but they just have been adaptated with christianism.
The carnival imported by the Colons is a way to perpetuate their pagan rituals.
30 000 dancers and musicians participate to the carnival, 500 000 spectators come from over the country and faraway every year. The preparations start a few months before.
All the members of the 47 groups from where they come go to Oruro every Sunday
to remake meticulously their choregraphy of their respective “comparas”( companies of people working over the same theme). As for the artisans, we can see them in “Calle La Paz” prepare themselves all the year making costumes and masks decorated for the next edition.
“La Diablada” which is the more popular company starts the parade. For the catholics it represents the archangel San Michel on the devil and the 7 deadly sins which are also known as the capital vices . It represents the Virgin Socavon and to Tio too. This dance, officialy borned in 1904 is considerated like a truly institution.
Now just let get in admiration with Bolivian’s endurance !