Qulla Carnival Festivity: Ch'utas

CH'UTAS • In Bolivia usually people used to dance called chutas. This kind of dance comes from an ancient dance called in aymara language khashwiri.

By EUGEN ROXAS

Ch'uta dancer. In La Paz this character dance totally a week looking for who going to be his wife and his lover. Photo © The Achacachi Post™

ACHACACHI, Bolivia.- People dance khashwiri (now called ch'utas) giving thanks of blossoming the potatoes and all seeded and singles youngs dance looking for get married.

From January to April Qulla people thanks to Gea (mother Earth) to flower their food. This period it is some like north American Thanksgiving Day but more longer in time.

Dancing chutas begin in Achocalla town, first January, then 14^th January in Caquiaviri , then in the mid of February in Chuquiyapu city (today La Paz, Bolivia) and finally near April, this Bolivian some kind Thanksgiving Day to Gea (mother Earth or Pachamama in aymara language) ends in Pucarani, a town of 35 Km from La Paz, city.

The khashwiri dance is for young and single people. It is dance for single people who are looking for get married.

In the week of festivity, single young search a woman a man. After dancing all the week in Sunday called Temptation he or she goes his or her lover home. The man must to send to say her parents that her daughter is in his house. After two or three weeks (after she is pregnant) he will visit and will say that she and he will get married.

In Bolivia this time of Thanksgiving it is usually to become people, which means in aymara language to become person. In Qulla culture person means two, woman and a man but married. The khashwiri dance, contemporary called chutas ot is a dance of love.