top of page

Sucreries : y se va la segunda!
Baroque and traditional music from the city of Sucre (Bolivia)

In a manner reminiscent of religious festivities in Bolivia, where the lavish blend of the sacred and the pagan serves the celebrations, "Sucreries, Y se va la segunda!" is a musical journey that transports the audience to the time of the silver mines of Potosí, to discover the musical treasures of the city of Sucre in Bolivia, formerly known as La Plata, the capital of the Viceroyalty of Upper Peru.

This program illustrates the blend of mysticism and tradition in a celebration rich in syncretism. It reflects the living link between heritage and living traditions, between Baroque and traditional, a sign of an ever-present style, a juxtaposition of elements that coexist and persist in the collective consciousness of Bolivians.

In a partnership since 2015 with the National Library and Archive of Bolivia, the ensemble enjoys privileged access to the manuscripts from the collection "Musica americana colonial, colecciones documentales de musica de los siglos XVII-XVIII", which was the first Bolivian register to be classified and declared "Memory of the World" in 2007.

​

This corpus is made up of liturgical and paraliturgical works: villancicos, motets and masses but also works in Spanish dance rhythms (some of them, however, prohibited in the worship of the old continent). They allowed the celebration to be experienced as a real festivity, sometimes even danced, according to historians, by tiples and cantors.

To crown this program typical of a Bolivian celebration, cuecas and coplas will be integrated, dances inspired by villancicos and xácaras, written by composers subsequent to the golden age of Potosí.

​

As a testimony to an encounter, "Sucreries: Y se va la Segunda!" illustrates the richness of a blend that gave rise to an ever-living heritage. A new vein of research and experimentation is emerging.

 

Who could have imagined sacred music so rhythmic, lively, and still reflected in such festive celebrations today? The singers and instrumentalists of Alkymia invite you to unveil the answer... and Adentro!

bottom of page