S POTLIGHT Cultural festivals
BORN OF A BLEND OF ANDEAN TRADITIONS, CHRISTIAN CELEBRATIONS AND AFRICAN SPIRITUALISM, ECUADOR’S FESTIVALS ARE AS UNIQUE AS THE NATION ITSELF
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International Festival of Performing Arts Every November, the southern city of Loja becomes
Ecuador’s cultural epicentre. For over 10 days, artists, dancers and masked performers from around the world descend on its cobbled streets in a whirl of neon and traditional skirts to showcase their work in local theatres, squares and public spaces. In 2022, the festival brought together almost 16,000 participants in more than 100 performances.
festivaldeloja.com
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Inti Raymi Head to the hills in late June to witness Indigenous
solstice celebrations — one of Ecuador’s most sacred festivals, observed since pre-Incan times. Andean cities including Otavalo, Ingapirca and Cotacachi host traditional tributes to Pachamama (Mother Earth) to give thanks at the end of the agricultural cycle. Get involved by participating in sacred baths, ancestral rituals, public dances and ceremonial meals.
Carnival Flotillas flanked by costumed dancers and pounding
drummers travel through South America during carnival season. It’s uninhibited — the music loud, the outfits bright and fervour palpable. A precursor to the solemnity of Lent, Carnival is Ecuador’s way of letting loose before 40 days and nights of abstinence. Dance in the crowds in Quito or join in smaller festivities in cities including Guaranda, Ambato, Cuenca or El Chota.
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Day of the Dead In the Incan era, mummification was a practice
reserved for the month of November. During Aya Marcay Quilla — the month of carrying the dead — celebrants would bring mummified friends and family along for the party, singing, dancing, praying and eating together. Macabre as it may now seem, the tradition kept the deceased alive in the memories of the living and preceded the contemporary Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead), observed in early November.
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Devil of Pillaro The devil dances in Santiago de Pillaro, in the
province of Tungurahua, for six days at the start of each new year. An Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador, this festival originated as a protest against colonialism and Catholicism. Centuries later, locals still dress as demonic characters bearing horns, fangs and elaborate headpieces to parade and dance around the streets, accompanied by a band of musicians. SJ ARMSTRONG
From top: The International Festival of Performing Arts in Loja; a scene from a Carnival held in the city of Guaranda; locals dress up as demonic characters during the Devil of Pillaro festival
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