Tens of thousands of dancers filled the streets of La Paz on Saturday for Bolivia's annual Gran Poder festival, one of the country's largest cultural celebrations, after the event was postponed twice due to social unrest and road blockades.
Organisers said this year's festival brought together 74 dance fraternities and around 87,000 performers, with celebrations continuing from dawn into the early hours of Sunday.
Recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2019, the Gran Poder festival honours the Lord Jesus of Gran Poder while blending Indigenous Andean traditions with Catholic devotion.
The parade featured some of Bolivia's best-known traditional dances, including the elaborate Morenada, the energetic Caporales, the ritual-inspired Tinku, the Llamerada, which honours llama herders of the Altiplano, and the Kullaguada, representing Andean textile weavers.
Dancer Karen Mita said the celebration reflected Bolivia's unique cultural identity.
"Our culture, our folklore, are unique in the world... so that all Bolivians and all people from around the world can know what we are in our hearts and in our essence," she said.
Another participant, John Sandy, said the festival represented faith and national pride.
"For us, the Gran Poder means a lot of faith and devotion... We dance because we like to represent the Caporales dance in this festival, which is the heritage of the entire nation," he said, adding that he has participated in the event for 35 years.
The festival attracts participants from Bolivia, Peru and Chile and is one of the country's most important cultural and tourism events.
Bolivian authorities estimate the annual celebration generates millions of dollars in economic activity, supporting industries ranging from costume making and music to hospitality and tourism.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrai...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the ...
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 p...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival has opened on the Lido, bringing Hollywood stars and leading filmmakers together for a programme dominated by war, political violence, grief, power and the pressures shaping the modern world.
Britain's King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited the exhibition housing the historic Bayeux Tapestry on Wednesday (2 September), which depicts the conquest of England by the monarch's ancestor William I in 1066.
Country music legend Dolly Parton, whose songs, unmistakable style and warmth made her one of America’s most enduring entertainers, has died aged 80, her family said on Tuesday.
Kanye West’s first solo concert in Central Asia delivered an estimated five billion tenge ($11 million) tourism boost to Almaty, drawing 31,000 spectators from more than 50 countries.
American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in TV shows such as Nashville and Heroes, has died at the age of 36, ABC News reported on Sunday, citing her representative.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment