Colombia - Venezuela - Colombian-Venezuelan llano work songs

Colombian-Venezuelan llano work songs are a practice of vocal communication consisting of tunes sung individually, a capella, on the themes of herding and milking. The practice emerged from the close relationship between human communities and cattle and horses and is in harmony with the environmental conditions and the dynamics of nature, forming part of the traditional animal husbandry system of the Llanos. Transmitted orally from childhood, the songs are repositories of the individual and collective stories of the llaneros. Llano work songs have been gradually affected by economic, political and social processes that, modifying the llanero cultural universe, have significantly weakened the practice. For example, ambitious government plans conceived from a developmental perspective have led to profound changes in the use of the land and in ownership systems, and the modification of the social, cultural and natural sites of the songs have resulted in a loss of interest in the values and techniques of llano work. Llanero work songs thus face various threats to their viability. Efforts to safeguard the element are nonetheless widespread, including a pedagogical strategy involving more than twenty meetings for bearers and young people in the region, training projects for schoolteachers and a proliferation of festivals.

Venezuela - Carnival of El Callao, a festive representation of a memory and cultural identity

The Carnival of El Callao, practised in communities of Venezuela, is associated with cannes brulées emancipation celebrations in French-speaking islands of the Caribbean. Running from January to March, the traditional practice features parades of people dressed as characters from history and fantasy, as well as calypso music, dancing and concerts throughout town streets with up to 3,000 people taking part. The parades are led by the madamas (the pillars of Callaoense identity representing Antillean matrons considered the communicators of values, who dance and wear colourful dresses); the medio-pintos (young people that entertain audiences by smudging charcoal on people who do not give a donation); the mineros (gold miners); and the diablos (people who wear masks, dance and carry a whip to maintain order). Other adults and young people wear costumes and also join in. The carnival highlights Callaoense history and diversity honouring its Afro-Antillean links and other community influences, reinforces its cultural identity, promotes unity and encourages younger generations to discover their heritage. Intergenerational transmission of the practice occurs mainly within families and schools run by tradition bearers where children learn skills so they can participate in the carnival like writing tunes, playing an instrument, singing, dancing or making masks.

Venezuela - Festive cycle around the devotion and worship towards Saint John the Baptist

The Venezuelan Saint John the Baptist celebrations feature practices and knowledge that originated in the eighteenth century in Afro-Venezuelan communities associated with former colonial estates. From the beginning, the festivities have been heavily influenced by Catholicism, but they are also rich in verbal, musical and physical expressions connected to sub-Saharan Africa. For followers, called Sanjuaneros, the celebration is a symbol of cultural resistance and freedom, and a means of remembering their enslaved ancestors. In many communities, the festivities start in early May. They are characterized by joyful drumming, dancing, storytelling and singing and by processions with a statue of Saint John the Baptist. Each community has its own form of dancing and singing. The exact dates of the festivities vary from one region to the next, but the most important dates are 23 and 24 June. On 23 June, the Sanjuaneros visit with friends and go to churches and casas (houses) of Saint John the Baptist. On 24 June, the image of the saint is baptized in the local river to commemorate the biblical event. Many devotees also go into the river to be blessed by the saint. Although the end of the cycle varies, in most places the celebrations end on 16 July. The practices and knowledge are transmitted within families and through community groups and schools.