Bailes Chinos

DESCRIPTION

The Bailes Chinos dances are made up of brotherhoods of musicians who express their faith through music, dance and song, on the occasion of the celebration of commemorative celebrations. This cultural expression, which is practiced mainly from the Norte Chico region to central Chile, has five fully differentiated styles and each is named after the valley or basin in which predominates. Organized mainly by men in rural areas, the Chino dances are characterized by execution jumps and squats to the rhythm of an isometric instrumental music played on percussion and flutes of pre-Columbian origin. The champion of dance sing religious songs, memorized or improvised, whose stanzas narrate pious stories subject, accompanied by two symmetrical rows of musicians and dancers, equally. A drummer leads choreographed dances and also marks the beat of the music. Each group has a standard bearer and companions, who are usually women. The music, dances and songs are learned by direct observation, imitation and transmission within families. The Bailes Chinos are an instrument of participation in social life, giving prestige to those involved in them. They are models of integration and social cohesion that have the accession of almost all local communities and also confer a sense of identity and solidarity to those who practice them.

UNESCO Intangible Heritage Baile Chino