Dancing Through the Streets of Lima

It is hard to believe that I have been working in Lima, Peru for almost five months and I have not written one blog post. What I have discovered is that blogging for me is like taking photos; I can do it any time I please but I need to be inspired. I'm hoping that things will change after today.

I have spent most of my time in the Miraflores region of Lima. For those who have not been here, Lima is divided into forty-three districts of varying size and quality. There are some truly peaceful and (mostly) safe areas like Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro where most of the tourists stay. Then there are regions like Callao and La Victoria, where it is best not to get out and explore on your own. Central Lima, can be on the iffy side, but there are plenty of places to see, food to eat, people to
watch. It's all a bit ramshackle with old colonial buildings mixed with more modern fare, all touched by time and plenty of earthquakes. But that is for another time. Today, I was introduced to Le Gran Pasacalle Ancashino of 2018. "What is that", you ask? Well, read on and find out.

While I have found little (in English) on Gran Pasacalle Ancashino, there are some things I did discover. First, pasacalle, literally means "to walk the streets" in Spanish. It's an old musical term that appears to have come from Italian (passacaglia) back in the early 1600s and was eventually adopted

by (or was it culturally appropriated? I thought only Americans did that?) the Spanish. At one time it was a serious musical term as evidenced by Bach, who wrote Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor. Today, in South American terms, it is literally a street dance, accompanied by music, with a mix of Spanish and Andean heritage. A simpler way of putting it is: native populations from the Andes, wearing colorful masks, playing instruments, and dancing through the streets.

My exposure with the dance was purely by accident: I walked into the middle of it. I heard music playing in the pedestrian street of Jiron de la Union and the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by a band and a pack of dancing women. I realized it must have been important as everyone had their phones out and crowds were lined up on both sides of the street. I was (rudely) pushed aside by a woman and scrambled to find a good vantage point to investigate. None being found, I planted myself next to a gentleman, mainly in black, hoisted on an elevated seat. Apparently, he was part of the event; although, I was unsure of his role. Perhaps he was the Spy Boy; some sort of scout? He looked directly over the women who were twirling with each other and members of the crowd. Behind the women was a band with brass instruments, guitars, and drums. This contingent began to move down the street, enveloping me, along with the crowd. Along the sides of the street, came men, dressed in colorful outfits with masks. Perhaps they were like court jesters as they hammed it up with the crowds and posed for pictures.

                                   

I thought I was getting into the rhythm of the times when I heard the first 'Crack!' What was that? Pop! It sounded like a gun. But, son of a gun, it was not a firearm of any kind; rather it was an enormous whip. To be more precise, several long, nasty looking whips. Coming from the other direction was another group of masked gentlemen, brightly colored, wielding these enormous instruments of pain and destruction. As they moved forward to meet the dancers and musicians, the repeatedly snapped their whips. Apparently, it was not a problem for anyone but me. Most pedestrians watched with glee as the whippers Snapped, Crackled, and Popped their way down the street. I had other ideas. While I trusted the whips, I'm not sure I trusted their handlers. They were so long and sinewy, I thought they were going to snap someone's head off. (Mine?) Fortunately, this did not happen. Instead, whippers met up with dancers/musicians, and the whole group wound its way through the streets of downtown Lima.

What did this all mean? I am unsure but I would not be surprised if it was connected to the Lenten season. Peru is well-known for its Lenten and Easter festivals which mix Catholic Spanish and pre-Christian native traditions together into a unique celebration of color and sound. Of course, as a friend later reminded me, I could have just asked. Why didn't I think of that? But it now has me primed to find out more about this great country I'm living in and to get me out of the comfortable apartment and back into the culture.