chuckstur, Nov. 15, 2011
Latest Update: January 28, 2022
This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series about Afro-Bolivian people and Afro-Bolivian music & dance.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/01/information-videos-about-afro-bolivians.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents an excerpt from the Wikipedia page about Afro-Bolivians and a reprint of an online article about Afro-Bolivian history and culture. That post also showcases three videos about Afro-Bolivians.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/01/online-comments-about-saya-caporales.html for Part III of this series. That post presents selected comments about the Saya, Caporeles", and other Afro-Bolivian folk dances.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/01/excerpt-from-1998-book-about-history-of.html for Part IV of this series. That post presents an excerpt of a 1998 book about the history of Afro-Bolivian Saya and the history of Bolivian Caporal.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/01/blackface-in-bolivian-tundiki-and.html for Part V of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a video and presents excerpts and comments about blackface and blackfishing in Bolivian Tunkiki and Caporal dances.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saya_(art_form)
"The Saya is a music and dance that originated in the Collao Meseta region of Peru-Bolivia. The artform's name comes from the Kikongo term nsaya, which means communal work led by a singing voice, akin to a work song.[citation needed] The Saya's instrumentation and dance also reflects the influence of traditional Andean music.
Enslaved Africans were taken to South America to work in a range of industries. Their customs, music, was merged with the native cultures gave rise to mixtures. The specific history of many of these practices has disappeared, but many authors have worked to identify cultural survivals in Afro-descended groups throughout South America.[1]
Many dances have been derived from the Saya. Caporales was based on these dances, created and presented to the public for the first time in 1969 by the Estrada brothers who were inspired in the Afro-Bolivian Saya character of the Caporal .[2] This character was, in turn, inspired by the foreman on the haciendas of the Yungas.
In the present day, Afro-Bolivians have used the Saya in their struggle to reclaim their rights within Bolivian society. In this movement, the Saya has functioned both as a way of expressing and solidifying Afro-Bolivian identity among black Bolivians, and as a way to express their identity in the context of national social movements based on ethnic identities.[3][4]
Many festivals where the dance is performed have a prominent religious aspect. One supposedly dances for The Virgin Mary and promises to dance for three years of one's life.
Dances derived from the Saya
In Caporales, the male dancer looks near identical to his
Caporal counterpart. However, while the Caporal outfit is usually larger and
constricting, a Saya uniform is usually made from lighter material and fitted
to the body for better, more fluid arm movement. Sometimes a whip may be used
like in Caporales, but this is the exception and is more popular to dance
simply with white or black gloves (depending on the uniform colors). Female
dancers also have a more fitted and relaxed outfit compared to their Caporal
counterparts. The differences in that case, however, are more subtle (lighter
material, less skirt, laced sleeves, etc.)
The Caporales is usually considered very masculine: men will move and use their arms with much emphasis on looking strong and "macho". Women, while emulating the men's moves, will simply concentrate on showing off their legs and skirts in a flirtatious manner.
The rhythms of all of these dances are different from the
Saya as well as the whole dance. Caporales is especially appreciated by young
people of the middle and upper class who form huge Caporales groups for
Carnival, Gran Poder and other "entradas".
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English gives “skirts” for the word "saya". However, as that Wikipedia page indicates, the name for the Saya dance form doesn't come from the Spanish language. Google translate also translates the word "foreman" for the word "Caporal" (the dance form). However, with regard to the dance form, it's better to use the untranslated Spanish word.
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Excerpt #2
From https://studyabroad.unm.edu/blog/caporales#:~:text=Caporales%20is%20a%20folk%20dance,and%20slaves%20during%20colonial%20times. Caporales by Ennedith, 12/6/2019
..."Caporales is a folk dance that actually originates and is traditional to Bolivia and certain districts of Puno. The dance originates from the Saya (cultural artform), which pertained to Afro-Bolivian miners and slaves during colonial times. As of this Saya the dance has been dedicated to the Virgen de la Candelaria since she is the patron saint to miners. The dance as of today consists of women and men, each with their designated traditional wear (although I have been told that the women’s wear has been modified over time). The traditional wear is a mix of Afro-Andino and Spanish aspects in which it consists of really bright colors and uniform-like outfits. The men dance in a very power asserting way as they tend to stomp and jump while the women sway their hands gracefully. "
-snip-
"Puno" is a city in Peru.
This article includes a number of photographs of Caporales groups.
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Ricardo Duarte, April 26, 2012
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3
ALCAPyne TV, March 26, 2016
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4: Niños de la comunidad afroboliviana nos deleitan con su danza
MUYUSPA,
Comparte con los niños de Chijchipa, Tocaña y Mururata la danza afroboliviana, reflejada a través
del canal de todos los bolivianos.
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English
title: Children of the Afro-Bolivian community delight us with their dance
summary: Share with the children of Chijchipa, Tocaña and Mururata
the Afro-Bolivian dance, reflected through the channel of all Bolivians.
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