BOLIVIA: BOLIVIANS CELEBRATE THE "GRAN PODER" FESTIVAL IN LA PAZ WITH DANCING AND EXPENSIVE COSTUMES

Record ID: 861099

  • Title: BOLIVIA: BOLIVIANS CELEBRATE THE "GRAN PODER" FESTIVAL IN LA PAZ WITH DANCING AND EXPENSIVE COSTUMES
  • Date: 10th June 2001
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF DANCERS IN FESTIVAL (4 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 25th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA63STAR2AVDBSFBYGRY4A21NRH
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Bolivians have celebrated the century-old festival of "Gran Poder" (Great Power) in La Paz to pay homage to Jesus Christ with dancing and elaborate costumes.
    As they have done for centuries in the Andean city of La Paz, dancers took over the streets on Sunday (June 10) in celebration of the Festival of "Gran Poder".
    Dressed in elaborate hand-sewn costumes, over 35,000 dancers made their way down the 5 kilometre path to pay homage to Jesus Christ.
    According to the festival's organizers, nearly twenty million dollars was spent on the three day festival.
    No expense was spared in the making of costumes which tailors spend all year creating.
    "This costume cost more or less one thousand Bolivianos (151 USD). Just the rental costs one thousand Bolivianos. To buy one is more expensive," said dancer, Juan Pena.
    The equivalent of thousands of dollars was spent on jewellery, clothes and parties by each of the fifty-six brotherhoods that participate in the festival.
    Some of the most elaborate costumes display thousands of dollars worth of gems sewn onto hats, earrings and blankets.
    Each are made with great care by authentic artisans that work the entire year to create designs that often include applying ornate decor by hand.
    In addition to the expense, the costumes are quite heavy.
    Some of the most simple costumes weigh between 25 and 30 kilograms each, making some movements throughout the parade difficult, but many of the dancers still wear them with pride.
    "This the first time I've participated. I am proud to participate in this brotherhood. Bolivia is multiethnic and multi cultural, and I want to tell everyone outside of Bolivia that this is Bolivia," said dancer Juana Apaza.
    This year, city authorities had ordered the festival to be postponed for a month-long mourning period after Thursday's (June 7) death of former president, Victor Paz Estenssoro, but dancers and 400,000 spectators defied the city's order and took to the streets as scheduled.
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