Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (digital audio file)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Date:
2016 July 04
Scope and Contents:
Grupo Nuu Yuku/Danza de los Diablos de San Miguel Cuevas; Banda Brillo de San Miguel Cuevas; Amy Vivian Kitchener Participants from the Basque and Sounds of California programs will demonstrate and discuss the history and customs of their respective festival traditions. The iconic Basque Joaldunak procession, rooted in pre-Christian ritual and now heralding the arrival of Carnaval, is performed in two villages in northern Nafarroa: Ituren and Zubieta. The participants wear elaborate costumes including a conical hat decorated with multicolored ribbons and feathers, large sheepskins, and four copper bells—two large and two small—tied securely to the joaldun's back. The processions take place over two days, the Monday and Tuesday after the last Sunday in January. The processors walk with a rhythmic step, making the bells on their backs resound. The hartza, a bear character, and the shepherd liven up the celebration and keep order. Although the origin of the procession is unknown, it is closely linked to the identity and cultural heritage of these two villages, where everyone participates in the food, music, and revelry. Grupo Nuu Yuku's danza de los diablos, or dance of the devils, represents a ized local tradition unique to San Miguel Cuevas in the Juxtlahuaca district of the Mixteca Baja in northern Oaxaca, Mexico. This dance is performed during patron saint fiestas, such as the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12. It was historically part of the dance drama enacted as the Moros y Cristianos series of festival performances that commemorate the battles between Moors (Muslims) and Christians during the period known as the Reconquista (from the eighth century through the fifteenth century) in Spain. The vivid wooden masks and regalia are handmade by traditional artists from San Miguel Cuevas and locally in the San Joaquin Valley.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
