The Committee
- Takes note that the Plurinational State of Bolivia has nominated Pujllay and Ayarichi, music and dances of the Yampara culture (No. 00630) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
Pujllay and Ayarichi are the main musical and choreographic forms of the Yampara culture. They complement each other and form a whole: Pujllay linked to the rainy season and Ayarichi to the dry. Pujllay is performed primarily by males, during the ritual of the same name celebrating the renewal of life and abundance brought on by rains. The sounds, dances and costumes evoke the ‘Tata Pujllay’, a demonic and fruitful entity with boundless energy. A group of musicians play flutes and a horn clarinet. Dancers, lavishly dressed as Tata Pujllay, tirelessly circle around a large altar decorated with food. Ayarichi is danced during festivals dedicated to various Catholic saints who govern the social and cosmic order and influence the preservation of life. The group comprises four male dancer-musicians playing panpipes and drums, and two to four young female dancers. Craftswomen are responsible for weaving costumes meticulously to the smallest detail. Extensive community networks are mobilized to organize the ritual and provide abundant food and drink. Transmission of musical and choreographic knowledge to children occurs without adult participation, often through collective games and observation. Pujllay and Ayarichi create unity among Yampara communities as a favoured way to communicate with nature.
- Decides that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List:
R.1: Pujllay and Ayarichi are musical and dance expressions transmitted from generation to generation through direct observation and collective practice of the younger members of the community, that reflect the communities’ worldview and interaction with the seasonal cycles;
R.2: Inscription of Pujllay and Ayarichi on the Representative List could contribute to raising awareness of the significance of Andean cultures while encouraging dialogue among them and testifying to their creativity in maintaining these practices while incorporating external components in response to often adverse natural and social environments;
R.3: A set of safeguarding measures includes the establishment of a Yampara Cultural Centre in charge of archiving, training, transmission and publications as well as the integration of local cultures in school curricula and tourism plans; their implementation requires the involvement of ‘pilot’ communities, departmental and municipal authorities as well as social organizations and researchers;
R.4: The nomination results from a collective effort of an ad hoc committee involving representatives of six pilot communities, several municipal, departmental and national governments as well as two concerned non-governmental organizations; free, prior and informed consent of the communities is adequately demonstrated;
R.5: The inventory of Pujllay and Ayarichi music and dances of the Yampara culture was established in 2013 by the Intangible Heritage Unit of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Bolivia, following the request of local authorities in 2009.
- Inscribes Pujllay and Ayarichi, music and dances of the Yampara culture on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
- While recognizing that tourism may contribute to the livelihood of communities, encourages the submitting State to ensure that their intangible cultural heritage is not decontextualized and that they are the primary beneficiaries of any future tourism activities;
- Takes note that Pujllay and Ayarichi are shared by Andean communities in the region and recalls that inscription on the Representative List does not imply exclusivity.