Sucreries : y se va la segunda!
Baroque and traditional music from the city of Sucre (Bolivia)
This musical journey paints an imaginary soundscape through time, rooted in the city of Sucre—once known as La Plata, a vibrant cultural hub of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Upper Peru.
From the rich polyphonies composed for La Plata’s chapels in the 17th and 18th centuries to the refined salon music of the 19th century, and from Baroque instrumental dances to the festive rhythms of today’s traditions, this journey weaves together villancicos, instrumental pieces, and cuecas.
Villancicos, performed during grand celebrations such as Christmas, Corpus Christi, or the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, blend Spanish popular melodies—some too lively for the Old World—with the flamboyant poetry of the Spanish Golden Age and intricate madrigalisms. Their playful twists and theatrical flair illuminate the art of storytelling in music, designed to delight, inspire, and celebrate.
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Instrumental pieces enter into this lively conversation, offering glimpses of musical gestures that may have fed the popular dances still present in today’s festivities, where sacred and secular worlds have always intertwined.
And finally, cuecas bring this journey into the present—vibrant, post-colonial expressions of a living tradition. Full of color and energy, they reflect the creative, ever-evolving identity of Sucre’s cultural landscape today.