por How is the clothing of the huayno?
The huayno clothingor huaino (as it is spelled in modern times), one of the most recognized types of popular music from the Andes, has a long history and very particular characteristics. The huayno is a music that is presented mainly in Peru and Bolivia, although it also has a presence in some parts of Argentina, Ecuador and Chile. The typical costumes of their dances are highly influenced by the cultures of these countries.
In Peru, there is a series of regulations for folkloric groups that urges to avoid confusion and inaccuracies in the clothing of traditional music such as huayno.
There the way of dressing in Cusco is adopted as part of the huayno aesthetic. Despite the above, the huayno clothing is not universalized and focuses on using different elements and decorations, depending on the region that the artist represents.
The base of the huayno clothing is the skirt. The skirt is a skirt of the female dress, usually bright or very colorful and with embroidery and lace of different styles. Polleras, which is the term used in various Latin American countries, can be made of cotton, wool or other materials.
Characteristics of the huayno clothing
The clothing of the huayno is widely related to the history of the Andean region and tries to preserve itself as a sample of the indigenous heritage of this region.
Culturally, it is related to the concept of cholasa typical Andean woman who wears traditional dresses of the region, especially skirts or skirts.
The skirts of the huayno singers can cover up to the knee, as well as cover their shoulders. When dresses are strapless, singers wear a shawl to keep warm and appear modest.
High heels are also characteristic of huayno singers.
It is common for the singers themselves to design their own skirts.
These designs usually carry folkloric patterns and images that may contain elements such as flowers, animals, and landscapes, among others. Usually, the name of the artist is incorporated into the front of the skirt.
Differences in the clothing of men and women
Unlike the female huayno singers, who wear bright and elaborate skirts, the male singers do not perform in costumes with such folkloric elements.
Male singers tend to wear monotonous formal suits, which often do not allow them to be associated with the Andean region. The dancers who accompany the main artist of the huayno also usually wear this type of costume to focus attention on the singer.
contemporary clothing
Although the huayno focuses on the use of traditional elements of each region in its clothing, the expanding means of communication have allowed it to cross regional barriers, unifying some aspects of typical costumes at the national level.
There is a feeling that contemporary commercial huayno clothing has opened up to a number of influences that lead it to abandon regional aesthetics. Even going so far as to adopt almost unified clothing without any type of specificity.
Currently, many voices warn about the recent trends of contemporary Huayno artists.
They say that the essence of the clothing is being lost, since the costumes they wear today do not represent their regions, despite being very beautiful and bright. However, as active and dynamic cultures, they accept various influences, which also enrich the cultural heritage.
References
Bradby, B. (1987). Symmetry around a Centre: Music of an Andean Community. Popular Music.
Butterworth, J. (2014). Andean Divas: Emotion, Ethics and Intimate Spectacle in Peruvian Huayno Music. Doctoral Thesis, University of London.
Cespedes, GW (1993). “Huayño”, “Saya” and “Chuntunqui”: Bolivian Identity in the Music of “Los Kjarkas”. Latin American Music Review / Latin American Music Magazine.