The colors and flavors of the region meet at the fair of indigenous and Afro-Bolivian peoples

Did you try the chicha de yuca? Or did you taste the banana chicha? Have you ever heard a ‘saya camba’? Have you rested in a Guarayan hammock delighting yourself with its colors? or did you ever take a ‘black grave’? All these sensations you can live or relive in the Christmas Fair of the Indigenous and Afro-Bolivian Peoples, which will take place until this Saturday, December 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., in the Plazuela del Estudiante (av. Monseñor Rivero, first ring). activity is organized by the Municipal Secretary of Culture and Tourism.

So much banana chicha like cassava chicha They are part of the tradition of the Yuracarés, who inhabit the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and the Santa Cruz province of Ichilo.

That explains María Elena Gutiérrez, an exhibitor at the fair. She tells us that these drinks may include cinnamon and clovesr, going through a process similar to the well-known chicha camba, made from corn.

In a similar way, the fabrics and colors of the art of the Guarayo aborigines are expressed in diverse and charming products to enhance the innate beauty of those who wear them. Kary Moirenda shows us coconut, cusi, sirari, motacú and chonta seedssome based on handicrafts such as purses, cases, bags, rings and other nice curiosities, which he shows us with his brand ‘Kary Tejidos’, whose motto expresses that it is ‘made with love’.

beyond are the representatives of the Ayoreo people, who stand out for the particularity of their products so striking: wooden arrows with colored feathers and garabatá fabrics, some of them already have their own brand: Dajudié.

But, if you are one of those who is not afraid of the intense and surprising flavors of life, you may like to taste an’ black grave‘, a concentrated citrus liqueur, prepared by Don Jesús Barra, an inheritance from his Yungueño ancestors, with a classic taste of generation. That is what the sentence of the particular bottle affirms. This ‘kind’ Afro-Bolivian tells that, during the quarantine by the Covid, the patients looked for the liquorr, -no matter how far they had to walk- to try to strengthen their defenses due to the formula of the preparation.

by his side, Vianka Vargas Bejaraneither, a well-known activist of the Afro-Bolivian people delights us with a splendid palette of African-inspired colors, which is reflected in the shades of the clothes she offers. In the same way, as in the various products that it exhibits: turbans, headbands, necklaces, fabrics; all this combining with inputs from Africa and recycled materials, but above all recovering ancestral knowledge, since each color and each symbol has a meaning. It is what this woman points out because of her place of origin.

Adriana Peraltawhose fashion brand is ‘La Impávida’, details the types of materials she uses, among all those Senegal fabric stands out. She takes the opportunity to tell us that, in this World Cup, which is about to end, they are supporting all the teams that have African blood roots.

The Amazon component of The Orient is present with handicrafts from Saó made by women of the Mojeño people, who merge ancestral knowledge of Beni and Santa Cruz. For all tastes, there is a variety of Christmas crafts and decorations that, on the occasion of the end of the year festivities, evoke sensations that spread throughout Santa Cruz homes. It is worth taking a pass.

Representatives of the Ayoreo people

Every color and every symbol has a meaning.