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Cultural life in Huaraz seems to be blooming!

Who could have imagined that with the long promised Huaraz cultural center in Huaraz still far away from being constructed. Last week's spectacular Canto Sagrado concert of Peruvian music legends Tito la Rosa and Tavo Castillo in the cathedral of Huaraz, still under construction on the Plaza de Armas, was truely world class.

About 250 people showed up for a well orchestered event promoting Andean New Age music. It was the first sacred breath coming out of the beautifully illuminated new cathedral.

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Typically the cathedral only gets bigger in the months before a local election. But on the 16th of september 2006 the church seemed to have grown into a massive Roman temple awaiting a son et lumiere show. All day Tito la Rosa had performed ceremonies to let the rain stop that poured down for 5 hours until the planned start of the event at 20:00 when his prayers finally got answered.
A small shamanic ritual with coca leaves, palo santo and agua de afloramiento for the musicians between building material in the back of the cathedral preceeds the concert away from the eyes of the public.


Then Tito la Rosa starts the event with a few deep blows from a huge shell while slowly walking in the center from the entrance of the cathdral through the public towards the stage where in the future the altar will rise. The attention of the public is immediately caught and won't wane during the hour long concert.
Tito constantly picks up new instruments. Panflutes, peruvian and romanian, quenas in different shapes and sizes, and thousand year old water whistles and flutes from pre-inca cultures. He privately owns an extensive collection of ancient peruvian instruments.


High up a construction scaffolding then appear four panflutists in impressive tradional ropes of the Grupo de Sikuris Surimanta. Pepe Chiriboga and Eduardo Escribens subtally play Indian style percussion in the back.and Camila Alva plays the violin while a short ballet performance symbolizing the flight of a condor clearly pleases the audience.
The location of an unfinished cathedral is certainly symbolic for Huaraz which was reduced to rubbles by the 1970 earthquake. The modern cathedral that was initially built from steel and glass next to the current site of the new cathedral was never popular with Huaracinos. This night the new cathedral resembles very much like the ruines of a church destroyed by a massive quake.


But on the contrary it is a new spiritual center in construction. Hopefully the cultural event will also be the beginning of a more lively cultural tradition in Huaraz which has been badly damaged too in 1970.
It is noteworthy that one of the big sponsors of the event was a large mine which operates in the region. We can only hope that the rich mines will continue funding cultural projects in the region to stimulate the arts.
It is clear that there is enough talent in Huaraz.

Let it bloom!

huaraz.com