Carnaval Andino “La Fuerza del Sol”: a feast of color and music

Every year on the coastal edge of the most arid desert in the world there is an explosion of music, color, confetti and snow-foam: The Andean Festival “La Fuerza del Sol” (The Strength of the Sun).

Welcome to three, sunrise-to-sunrise, sunset-to-sunset and almost non-stop days at the end of January and/or early February in Arica, Chile’s northernmost city.

A tri-nation (Chile, Bolivia, Peru) gathering of andean indigenous / first-nation communities as well as the African descendants from the region competing relentlessly in a street procession that spans more than a kilometre, it takes place during the hot summer days and nights often reaching a duration of 20 hours.

As cruise ships settle into the harbor, letting passengers get a glimpse of this feast for the eyes and ears, bands ranging in size from 50 to 150 and comparsas of between 50 and 300 impeccably presented dancers (totalling more than 10,000 throughout the event!!!) sweat away under Arica’s summer sun.

The music is nothing short of diverse: from the Tarqueada (the name denoting the use of the takrqa / tarka / tarca, a wooden flute-like instrument native to the Andes); the Morenada (with ladies wearing elaborate skirts, shawls and bowler hats); the Bolivian Tinku (a physically-demanding ritual and dance with its origins in Potosí); the infectious rhythms of the Caporales (recognised by its high-energy jumps, the chinitas and the beating drums); the ferocious Tobas (with plenty of energy, chanting and feathers); to the Tumbe (beautiful traditional dance maintained by the African descendants of the region) among others.

As well as the photographs above (which can be reviewed in a larger gallery by clicking on any image), we have extensive HD ProRes footage of the event as well as a more detailed article. For more information please send your enquiry to us via the contact page.