The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) yesterday included the cultural practices and expressions of several countries to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Among other symbols, he incorporated the Venezuelan joropo, the Argentine quartet, the Bulgarian bagpipe, the Tangail sari weave and the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of Sucre, Bolivia.
The joropo, explained UNESCO, is a typical manifestation of the states of the Llanos of Venezuela (Apure, Barinas and Portuguesa) that combines music, dance and theater, to the rhythm of the harp, cuatro and maracas. It comes from the encounter between indigenous, African and European peoples and is common in family celebrations, public gatherings and religious or cultural festivals.
Meanwhile, the quartet is a dance musical genre, originating from the Argentine city of Córdoba that over time became an important part of local culture. For its part, the bagpipe is a traditional wind instrument that is played in social and cultural events, especially in folk dances, festive meals, rituals and meetings.
The sari is a traditional hand-embroidered cotton, silk or jute fabric. Tangail fabrics are distinguished by their fine texture, detailed designs and local motifs, making each piece a work of art that reflects the social and cultural practices of the region.
UNESCO also recognized the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is commemorated every September 8 in Sucre. This celebration combines religious elements such as processions and daily prayers, with dance and traditional art from the Bolivian provinces.
Urgent safeguard
Likewise, UNESCO registered ancestral traditions from Panama, Paraguay, Vietnam, Barbados, Kenya and other countries on its Urgent Safeguarding List, which includes cultural expressions that need immediate attention to ensure their survival.
The construction processes of the quincha house and the mud joints, from Panama, as well as the ancestral Ñai’ũpo ceramic art, from Paraguay, are part of the accepted candidatures.
With this addition, for example, the Panamanian authorities seek to activate funds and technical advice, in order to execute a four-year plan focused on the provinces of Los Santos, Herrera, Veraguas and Coclé.
UNESCO indicated that quicha faces a shortage of natural raw materials, caused by climate change and the use of land for intensive livestock farming, as well as the loss of oral transmission between generations.
This ancient architectural process consists of raising a frame of wood and bitter cane that is later filled with a mixture of mud, dry straw and water. The design offers high thermal resistance, keeping the interior cool in extreme temperatures.
Also added to the list were the art of making Đông Hồp folk engravings on wood, from Vietnam; the Mwazindika spiritual dance, from the Daida community of Kenya; the Boreendo, Bhorindo, a dying ancient Pakistani musical instrument, and the practice of making Asin Tibuok, artisanal sea salt of the Boholano people of the Philippines.
Also included was the Moliceiro ship, an art of naval carpentry from the Aveiro region of Portugal; the art of creating and playing Kobyz from Uzbekistan; that of playing, singing and making the lahuta of Albania, the social and cultural traditions associated with the landships in Barbados, and the Negliubka textile tradition of the Vetka district, Gomel region Belarus.
(With information from Sputnik and Prensa Latina)