AMUSTASXAÑA By Carlos Gutierrez Symposium « Curating Diversity in Europe » September 25, 2020
AMUSTASXAÑA1 The Ayllu Originario de Upinhuaya is [an indigenous Community] located in the Charazani region, located in the Bolivian territory in the northeast of Lake Titicaca, in the Bautista Saavedra province of the Department of La Paz. Geographically defined, it is found in the high inter-Andean valleys of the Eastern Cordillera, near the Apolobamba knot and at a height of 3,700 meters above sea level. In professional literature, this region is known as the place of origin of the "Kallawayas", famous itinerant doctors (Girault 1987; Oblitas Poblete 1969, 1978; Otero 1951; Saignes 1985: 187-220). Regarding the linguistic situation in the Charazani valleys, the dominant presence of a Quechua-speaking population can be verified. The Upinhuaya settlement is one of the few exceptions in which the comuneros belong to an Aymara-speaking population that includes approximately 270 people. The low level of agricultural productivity forces the comuneros to make long migrations to different alternative centers of production located in the tropical high valleys, the Yungas (Mankhe 1984 ".63). The migrants are usually young men and women who are generally single and remain there. between three months and several years In the place of origin, which still prevails as the center of collective identity and sociopolitical life (Fischer 2002), there are mostly tubers and roots such as potatoes, olluco, oca and izaño, as well as corn and beans The Yunguean lands are used for the cultivation of coffee, oranges and coca2. It is very difficult to specify when the practice of Tuaillu (traditional music of the Community) began. Some authors like Luis Soria, Louis Girault and Max P. Baumann say that this music comes from the ancient Tuacas marches that accompanied the Inca's court (img 3).
Ayllu Originario de Upinhuaya (img. 1)
1
In the Aymara language it means remembering what is forgotten. It is a text with images that will be part of an exhibition about the meeting between the indigenous Community of Upinhuaya and the Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos 2 From Las categorías del tiempo y el concepto de temporalidad: el caso de Upinhuaya de Eva Fischer
The location of Upinhuaya in the inter-Andean valleys (Louis Girault) (img. 2)
Illustration Las andas del Inca by Felipe Guamรกn Poma de Ayala in Nueva Corรณnica y Buen Gobierno (1615). In this illustration, Ayala shows the Inca Emperor accompanied by the Kallawayas (group of itinerant herbal doctors who later settled in the region where Upinhuaya is located).(img. 3).
APPROACH
Musicians of Tuaillu. Photo from the book Cultura Callawaya by E. Oblitas Poblete (1963) (img. 4)
Within a research process developed in the Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos, it was possible to collect information that accounted for the disappearance of the practice of this music in its Community of origin (which, as is known, is the only one in which it was played the Tuaillu, at least during the 20th century). Then the Community members would tell us that the last time they played this music was in the 70s. This process initially contemplated the search for records (transcriptions and audio recordings) and documentation in order to be able to reproduce / reconstruct the phonetics of this music. Transcripts and Recordings We found in total 7 tunes transcribed by the Bolivian musicologist Antonio Gonzรกles Bravo, 2 transcriptions by the French musicologists Raoul and Marguerite d'Harcourt in addition to 4 audio records made by the French anthropologist Louis Girault in the 50s. Then, the OEIN proceeded to recreate the tunes with instruments made by the artisan Vicente Tรณrrez from he Comm ni of Jach a H ala a a famo s Community known for its artisan tradition in instrument construction.
Transcripts by Antonio Gonzรกlez Bravo. From the book Cultura Kallawaya by Enrique Oblitas Poblete (img. 5)
In the Community As the next stage of the process, the OEIN traveled to Upinhuaya to present the learned Tuaillus to the Community and coincide with the important Celebration of Tata Santiago (July 25).
First meeting between the OEIN and the musicians of Upinhuaya in July 2017 (img. 6) The Community received the music with great surprise and enthusiasm. Musicians who had been part of the Tuaillus ensemble many years ago such as Casimiro Mamani and Daniel Palluca came up and taught us new tunes and joined the ensemble.
Casimiro Mamani, Tatiana Lรณpez, Daniel Palluca and Gabriela Saravia in July, 2017 (img. 7)
The next day, the town authorities invited the orchestra and musicians of the old Tuaillu ensemble to play in the traditional procession of the Tata Santiago. For the first time in more than 40 years, the Tuaillu sounded again in Upinhuaya.
Beginning of the Tata Santiago procession in July 2017 (image 8) Since then, the link between Upinhuaya and the OEIN has been consolidated with new exchanges.
Visit of the OEIN to Upinhuaya on the anniversary of the Community in December 2018 (image 9)
OEIN visit to Upinhuaya on the anniversary of the Municipality of Curva in May 2019 (image 10)
Casimiro Mamani (Upinhuaya), Gabriela Saravia (OEIN) and Franciso Paye (Upinhuaya) received the official Resolution from the Bolivian State that recognizes the Tuaillu of Upinhuaya (img. 11)