As part of an incredible line up of more than 100 artists during the Latin Party on Saturday 29th in King George Square, Bolivia Marka will be showcasing the beauty of Bolivian culture and dance.
Read on and check out the Latin Party official page.
The Bolivia Marka dancers are a group of fun-loving people brought together by their shared passion of Bolivian music, dance and culture in Brisbane Australia. The group was formed in 1999 by Jaime Moscoso, his daughters and close family friends. Born in Bolivia and now based in Brisbane, Jaime formed the Bolivia Marka Dance Group to share his cultural heritage and the various dances that hail from Bolivia.
The dances undertaken by the members of Bolivia Marka are representative of dances from the world-heritage recognised Oruro Carnaval which takes place annually in Bolivia. The Oruro carnaval showcases a melting-pot of cultural fusion of the indigenous people of Bolivia from the Altiplano, Chaco and the low-lying regions, as well as the influences from the Spanish conquistadors and the African slaves brought to Bolivia to work the mines. The Oruro Carnival is an annual religious festival dating back more than 2000 years. Originally an indigenous festival, it was later adapted in the 17th century to incorporate the Christian rituals of the Spanish settlers. This blend of traditions can be clearly seen and heard in the variety of music and dance displayed at Oruro. During this annual spectacle there are routinely in excess of 28,000 dancers and thousands of musicians.
In the past few years, 6 of our members have taken it upon themselves to travel to Bolivia and dance at the Oruro carnaval, this journey of more than 13 000 kms and over 24 hours of flying, (not including the bus transfers) combined with the many hours spent virtually learning steps and practicing at altitude is a labour of love and sacrifice for each person to achieve the dream we all share. We hope one day to have each of our members perform and savour the rich culture Bolivia has to offer and return to Australia with that knowledge and passion. Right now Bolivia Marka performs 12 out of the 18 dances from the Oruro Carnaval.
Recognised as an important international treasure, in 2001 the Oruro Carnival was declared a ‘Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by an international collection of highly respected figures and convened by the United Nations. Over the last 24 years, Bolivia Marka has taken part in many events including; 15 consecutive years at the world-famous Woodford Folk Festival, Australian Citizenship ceremonies, the mosaic multicultural festival, countless Latin and Multicultural festivals, The Luminous Lantern parade and supporting the renowned Bolivian band Los Kjarkas on their Australian Tour in 2013.
Bolivia Marka specialises in dancing only Folkloric dances from Bolivia (the forefront of those being Caporales, Morenada, Tinku, Diablada and Kullawada, and we stand against Cultural Appropriation of any kind. We believe in honouring our ancestors and the traditions they have passed onto us; we believe in the power of our indigenous people to thrive and we will carry on those traditions. We thank the traditional owner of this great land Australia, on which we have travelled to and live today, and pay our respects to their elders past and present.
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