﻿Vol. 
  2] 
  HIGHLAND 
  TRIBES, 
  S. 
  COLOMBIA 
  — 
  HERNANDEZ 
  DE 
  ALBA 
  951 
  

   ESTHETIC 
  AND 
  RECREATIONAL 
  ACTIVITIES 
  

  

  Art. 
  — 
  Arts 
  included 
  sculpture, 
  small, 
  cast 
  gold 
  idols 
  and 
  figures, 
  and 
  

   painting. 
  Their 
  best 
  known 
  art 
  objects 
  are 
  those 
  decorated 
  with 
  lac- 
  

   quer 
  or 
  resin, 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Timana 
  region, 
  and 
  the 
  stylized 
  representa- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  beings 
  which 
  women 
  still 
  weave 
  on 
  cotton 
  sashes. 
  

  

  Music. 
  — 
  These 
  tribes 
  formerly 
  played 
  on 
  trumpets, 
  drums, 
  large 
  

   sea 
  shells 
  called 
  "fotutos," 
  cornets, 
  and 
  cane 
  flutes. 
  These 
  instru- 
  

   ments 
  were 
  played 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  accompany 
  dances 
  but 
  also 
  when 
  going 
  

   into 
  battle. 
  The 
  sea 
  shell 
  trumpet 
  was 
  used 
  during 
  the 
  Colonial 
  Pe- 
  

   riod 
  but 
  has 
  been 
  abandoned. 
  The 
  drums 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  hollowed 
  trunks, 
  

   and 
  the 
  drumheads 
  of 
  animal 
  skins 
  The 
  flutes 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  cane, 
  and 
  

   vary 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  thickness. 
  They 
  are 
  capable 
  of 
  such 
  variation 
  in 
  

   tonality 
  that 
  the 
  musical 
  combination 
  is 
  pleasant 
  to 
  the 
  ear. 
  

  

  A 
  kind 
  of 
  orchestra, 
  known 
  as 
  a 
  "chhimia," 
  today 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  

   large 
  drum 
  to 
  beat 
  time, 
  a 
  small 
  drum 
  to 
  play 
  a 
  rhythmic 
  roll, 
  and 
  

   flutes 
  to 
  carry 
  the 
  tune. 
  Each 
  community 
  has 
  its 
  orchestra, 
  but 
  every 
  

   Indian 
  is 
  a 
  flute 
  player 
  and 
  loves 
  to 
  play 
  his 
  instrument 
  when 
  travel- 
  

   ing 
  over 
  the 
  hills. 
  The 
  music 
  is 
  nearly 
  always 
  sad 
  and 
  has 
  absorbed 
  

   some 
  of 
  the 
  regional 
  Colombian 
  popular 
  airs. 
  It 
  has 
  few 
  variations, 
  

   and 
  changes 
  to 
  a 
  solemn 
  tone 
  on 
  funerals. 
  The 
  Pdez 
  love 
  their 
  own 
  

   music 
  so 
  much 
  that, 
  instead 
  of 
  using 
  the 
  Gregorian 
  music 
  of 
  the 
  

   Catholic 
  rites, 
  they 
  have 
  imposed 
  their 
  own 
  music 
  on 
  the 
  religious 
  

   ceremonies. 
  Thus, 
  at 
  Mass, 
  they 
  play 
  the 
  special 
  music 
  used 
  when 
  

   an 
  animal 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  killed 
  and 
  eaten. 
  Other 
  music 
  accompanies 
  the 
  

   bursting 
  of 
  skyrockets 
  and 
  firecrackers. 
  There 
  is 
  music 
  for 
  the 
  Ele- 
  

   vation, 
  for 
  the 
  Creed, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  Requiem 
  Mass. 
  Certain 
  musical 
  

   pieces 
  are 
  called 
  simply 
  "bambuco" 
  (local 
  airs), 
  though 
  they 
  have 
  some 
  

   variations. 
  

  

  Native 
  songs 
  narrated 
  the 
  triumphs 
  and 
  feats 
  in 
  war, 
  but 
  none 
  

   have 
  been 
  collected, 
  and 
  all 
  are 
  now 
  forgotten. 
  Today 
  the 
  Indians 
  

   sing 
  only 
  some 
  modern 
  Colombian 
  airs 
  or 
  religious 
  songs. 
  

  

  Dances. 
  — 
  Dances 
  were 
  very 
  important 
  to 
  these 
  Indians, 
  being 
  held 
  

   for 
  war, 
  for 
  religious 
  ceremonies, 
  for 
  weddings, 
  and 
  for 
  sexual 
  initia- 
  

   tion. 
  During 
  Colonial 
  times, 
  Del 
  Castillo 
  i 
  Orozco 
  reported 
  the 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  dances, 
  most 
  of 
  which, 
  as 
  their 
  names 
  show, 
  apparently 
  had 
  

   not 
  suffered 
  any 
  change 
  under 
  Spanish 
  influence: 
  

  

  Gueyo 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  to 
  ask 
  for 
  money. 
  

  

  Vito 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  the 
  rod 
  or 
  stick. 
  

  

  Xsita 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  sea 
  shells 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  armadillo. 
  It 
  was 
  accompanied 
  by 
  two 
  

  

  sea 
  shells 
  of 
  different 
  tones. 
  

   Onza 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  rats. 
  

   Imegnuei 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  the 
  sparrow 
  hawk. 
  

   Ech 
  covi 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  the 
  phantom's 
  flutes. 
  

   Bel 
  covi 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  for 
  great 
  festivities. 
  

   Quimb 
  coo, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  the 
  drum. 
  

   Itsa 
  k6, 
  added 
  by 
  Pittier 
  de 
  Fabrega, 
  a 
  dance 
  of 
  girls' 
  puberty. 
  

  

  