Cueca

Cueca ( ) is a family of musical styles and associated dances in which 'the dancers, who carry a handkerchief in their right hand, trace circular figures, with turns and half-turns, interrupted by various flourishes.' It dates back to the late 18th century, and its origin is disputed; there are various theories or schools of thought regarding its provenance and evolution. It is danced "under more or less different names", from Colombia to Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, and it has different varieties, both in rhythm and choreography, depending on the regions and the periods; "the only thing that differentiates them is the local color they acquire in different places, as well as the number of measures, which varies from one to another." The Chilean government officially declared the cueca the "national dance of Chile" through Decree No. 23 of November 6, 1979, issued by the Ministry of the General Secretariat of Government, and designated September 17 as the "National Cueca Day" through Decree No. 54 of October 28, 1989, issued by the same ministry. Likewise, the Bolivian government declared the Bolivian cueca an intangible cultural heritage of the country on November 30, 2015, and established the first Sunday of October as the "Day of the Bolivian Cueca".

Cueca ( ) is a family of musical styles and associated dances in which 'the dancers, who carry a handkerchief in their right hand, trace circular figures, with turns and half-turns, interrupted by various flourishes.' It dates back to the late 18th century, and its origin is disputed; there are various theories or schools of thought regarding its provenance and evolution. It is danced "under more or less different names", from Colombia to Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, and it has different varieties, both in rhythm and choreography, depending on the regions and the periods; "the only thing that differentiates them is the local color they acquire in different places, as well as the number of measures, which varies from one to another." The Chilean government officially declared the cueca the "national dance of Chile" through Decree No. 23 of November 6, 1979, issued by the Ministry of the General Secretariat of Government, and designated September 17 as the "National Cueca Day" through Decree No. 54 of October 28, 1989, issued by the same ministry. Likewise, the Bolivian government declared the Bolivian cueca an intangible cultural heritage of the country on November 30, 2015, and established the first Sunday of October as the "Day of the Bolivian Cueca". ===Twentieth century=== During the twentieth century, cueca became associated with the common man in Chile, and through them, the dance spread to pre-industrialized urban areas such as La Vega, Estación, and Matadero, which were on the outskirts of Santiago at the time. In the 1970s, cueca and Mexican music enjoyed similar levels of popularity in the Chilean countryside. Due to being distinctly Chilean, cueca was chosen by Pinochet's military dictatorship to be promoted. Cueca was officially declared the national dance of Chile due to its significant presence throughout the country's history, announced via a public decree in the Official Journal (Diario Oficial) on November 6, 1979. Emilio Ignacio Santana, a cueca specialist, argues that the dictatorship's appropriation and promotion of cueca had negative effects on the genre. According to Santana, the dictatorship's endorsement resulted in the wealthy landlord (huaso) becoming the icon associated with cueca, rather than the rural laborer. ===Cueca sola=== is a solo variant of the cueca created in 1978 by Violeta Zúñiga and other members of the Association of Families of the Detained-Disappeared (AFDD) as a non-violent protest against the Pinochet dictatorship. In this form of cueca, a woman (arpillerista) dances alone while holding a photograph of her disappeared loved one. During the television campaign advertising the "No" option in the 1988 Chilean national plebiscite, a group of women (played by real-life relatives of the disappeared) performed the cueca sola. This powerful display of resistance was later re-enacted by surviving members of the group for the 2012 Academy Award-nominated film No, directed by Pablo Larraín. The symbolic gesture of cueca sola inspired the 1987 song "They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" by Sting. ==Clothing and dance== The clothing worn during the cueca dance is traditional Chilean attire. Men typically wear a huaso's hat, shirts, a flannel poncho, riding pants, short jacket, riding boots, and spurs. Women wear flowered dresses. The cueca dance itself symbolizes a rooster-chicken relationship. The man initiates the dance by approaching the woman and offering his arm. The woman then accompanies him, and together they walk around the room. They eventually face each other, each holding a handkerchief in the air, and begin dancing. Although they do not touch physically, they maintain contact through facial expressions and movements that convey flirtation and courtship. Throughout the dance, it is customary for the pair to wave a white handkerchief, which is an essential element of the cueca. == Basic structure== The basic structure of the cueca is that it is a compound meter in or and is divided into three sections. Some differences can be noticed depending on geographical location. There are three distinct variants in addition to the traditional cueca: The northern cueca: The main difference with this version is that there is no singing in the accompanying music which is played with only sicus, zamponas, and brass. trumpets, tubas. Also, both the music and the dance are slower. This dance is done during religious ceremonies and carnival. The cueca from the central region: This genre is mostly seen in Chile. The guitar, accordion, guitarron, and percussion are the prevailing instruments. The Chiloé cueca: This form has the absence of the cuarteta. The seguidilla are repeated and there is a greater emphasis on the way the lyrics are presented by the vocalist. ===In Mexico=== In 1822, through sailors of the Chilean squadron sent by General Bernardo O’Higgins to support the insurgents in the Mexican War of Independence, and later between 1848 and 1855 with Chilean immigrants and adventurers during the California Gold Rush, cueca arrived at the ports of Acapulco (Guerrero), Huatulco, and Puerto Ángel (Oaxaca). There it blended with the mestizo traditions of the southern coastal region (región suriana) and in Mexico gave rise to a new musical genre known as chilena. This musical genre emerged specifically in what is now the state of Guerrero and very quickly spread throughout the area known as the Costa Chica, which includes the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. In other states of the Mexican Republic and in the United States, chilena came to be adopted as an additional musical genre due to the mass migrations of people from coastal regions during the 1980s and 1990s. ===In Peru=== , Lima, Peru]]Toward the end of the War against the Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839), along with Chilean troops of the United Restoration Army, the “Chilean zamacueca” arrived in Peru. There it became the most popular form during the 1860s and 1870s and came to be known as chilena. In March 1879¹, the dance called chilena was renamed marinera by the Peruvian writer and musician Abelardo Gamarra, known as El Tunante. The first marineras were published in the newspaper El Nacional in March 1879: on the 8th, “La Antofagasta”, a Bolivian port occupied by Chile at the time—written by El Tunante with music by Nicanor Núñez del Prado; and on the 15th, “Ciruelas de Chile,” written and set to music by José Alvarado, known as Alvaradito. Some sources state that marinera “comes from the Aragonese jota, the zamacueca, and the chilena; it breaks away from its former name (chilena) as a consequence of the war with Chile and adopts a nationalist connotation, becoming a version of Peruvian music with its own distinct identity”. ===In Argentina=== Cueca entered Argentina from Chile through the Cuyo region—first as zamacueca and later as cueca chilena (Chilean cueca)—where it retained the name cueca. Its presence is documented in the Cuyo region around 1840 and in the province of Buenos Aires in 1850. The Cuyan cueca (cueca cuyana) is essentially sung, accompanied by guitar—historically, the harp was also used—and can reach a length of 40 or 48 measures. It presents musical and choreographic differences from the current “Chilean cueca”; musically, it retains the bimodality of the old zamacueca, but in a minor mode. There is also the “northern cueca” (cueca norteña), or simply chilena as it is known by inhabitants of northwestern Argentine provinces and Bolivia. This variant entered the province of Jujuy via Bolivia, directly from Peru—where, until March 1879, it was more commonly called chilena, and after that became known as marinera. In the last quarter of the 19th century, it reached the provinces of Salta and Tucumán. Since 1974, the National Cueca and Damasco Festival (Festival Nacional de la Cueca y el Damasco) has been held annually in Santa Rosa. Among the subgenres of this variant are: Cuyan cueca (cueca cuyana) Malargüina cueca (cueca malargüina) Neuquina cueca (cueca neuquina) Northern cueca (cueca norteña, called chilena in the Argentine Northwest) Riojana cueca (cueca riojana) Cuequita Among the ten most famous Cuyan cuecas are: “Cochero ’e plaza” (Hilario Cuadros) “La del Parral” (Hilario Cuadros and Benjamín Miranda) “La juguetona” (Buenaventura Luna) “La yerba mora” (Hilario Cuadros) “Las dos puntas” (Osvaldo Vicente Rocha and Carlos Montbrun Ocampo, 1946) “Las tres donosas” (Hilario Cuadros) “Los sesenta granaderos” (Hilario Cuadros and Félix Pérez Cardozo) “Póngale por las hileras” (Félix Dardo Palorma) “¿Por qué será?” (Hernán Videla Flores and Carlos Montbrun Ocampo) “Vinito patero” (Coletti and Alberto Rodríguez) ===In Bolivia=== , La Paz, Bolivia]]In 1865, cueca entered Bolivia from Peru. In that country, the “Chilean zamacueca” became the most popular form during the 1860s and 1870s and came to be known as the “chilena”. In March 1879, the dance called “chilena” was renamed “marinera” by the Peruvian writer and musician Abelardo Gamarra, known as El Tunante. In general, it can be stated that in Bolivian cueca is a dance performed at social events, especially family gatherings, as well as at patron saint celebrations such as the Oruro Carnival, the Urkupiña festival, and the Gran Poder festival. Since 2004, the International Cueca Festival has been held annually in El Alto. In 2016, the Bolivian Cueca Cultural Foundation – Willy Claure was created, with the objective of carrying out actions that promote its development, revaluation, safeguarding, promotion, and dissemination. Since 2017, the Cuecoteca has been frequently organized at the Municipal House of Culture in Sucre, and since 2018 in La Paz’s Plaza 25 de Mayo, for learning and practice with live music. On November 30, 2015, the Bolivian government declared Bolivian cueca to be the country’s “cultural and intangible heritage” through Law 764, stating that “cueca is the principal rhythm that has succeeded in articulating the spirit of a homeland and a nation”. Likewise, the first Sunday of October was declared “Bolivian Cueca Day.” This initiative was promoted by national artists, folkloric dance academies, and the general public. The Plurinational Legislative Assembly decrees: Article 1. Se declara Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, a la Cueca Boliviana, por la diversidad de sus expresiones musicales, poéticas, coreográficas y de indumentaria, para la salvaguarda de los valores culturales, tradicionales y populares, que le otorgan identidad nacional. (Bolivian Cueca is declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, due to the diversity of its musical, poetic, choreographic, and costume expressions, in order to safeguard the cultural, traditional, and popular values that grant it national identity.) Article 2. Se declara “Día Nacional de la Cueca Boliviana”, el primer domingo de octubre de cada año. (The first Sunday of October of each year is declared “National Day of Bolivian Cueca.”) Among the subgenres of this variant are: Chapaca cueca (cueca chapaca) is coquettish, more or less fast, with zapateo (footwork), and is characterized by elegance and gallantry. Chaqueña cueca is bouncy and fast; the clothing is from the Chaco region and it is danced with a more upright posture, especially by women. Chuquisaqueña cueca has a “waltz-like” character; the arrangement in rows of ladies and gentlemen, the strict timing, the proud gaze, formal attire and high heels, the pleated skirt below the knees, the embroidered blouse adorned with ruffles, the silk mantilla, and the white handkerchief are some of the details that make up the oldest and best-preserved expression to this day of the colonial ballroom dances of the old city of La Plata, today the city of Sucre. Cochabambina cueca has more popular and simple yet cheerful characteristics; it is danced at social, patronal, and chichería events. Oruro and La Paz cuecas are similar in structure: both have melancholic minor modes and are danced at various social events, festivities, and occasions such as prestes and others. Potosina cueca combines sad and joyful parts and is danced very elegantly, although with attire different from the Chuquisaqueña; for example, the pleated skirt is longer and high heels are not used. Depending on the type of cueca performed, the costume varies: women wear the dress of the Bolivian chola from Oruro, La Paz, or Potosí, while Chuquisaqueña and Cochabambina women wear a relatively long pleated skirt and ankle boots. In the south, the Chapaca woman wears a shorter skirt, while the Chaqueña uses a long, flowered skirt. Men wear trousers, a shirt, a vest, and a hat. Cueca in Tupiza (Sud Chichas) is also cheerful and bouncy; women wear a short skirt and a wide-brimmed white hat, while men wear trousers, a shirt, a red poncho, and a wide-brimmed white hat. Among the ten most popular and renowned Bolivian cuecas are: “Así es Tarija” (Huáscar Aparicio) “Cómo extraño a mi tierra” (Ernesto Mealla) “El regreso” (Matilde Casazola) “Huérfana Virginia” (Simeón Roncal) “La bolivianita” (Huáscar Aparicio) “La de Moto Méndez” (Chapaca cueca, Nilo Soruco; sung by Tamara Castro) “La tarijeñita” (Rigoberto Rojas Suárez; sung by Los Fronterizos) “Morir cantando” (Chapaca cueca, Hugo Monzón) “Rojo, amarillo y verde” (Chaqueña cueca, Juan Enrique Jurado) “Viva mi patria Bolivia” (originally “A Bolivia,” by Apolinar Camacho and Ricardo Cabrera; recognized as the second national anthem). ==See also== Chinchinero ==References== ==External links== Demonstration of Bolivian cueca (and other folk dances specific to the Gran Chaco region) on YouTube

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