The glory of being "the other". The pride and punishment of not being "like them ..." Not being white, being Indian and being half cast ... That is the harsh but ultimately glorious destiny of the Bolivian.
What am I talking about? I refer to the Uruguayan writer, Eduardo Galeano, whose most famous book is The Open Veins of Latin America.
In another one of his books, To be Like Them, Galeano writes: "[Latin America] is a part of the world suffering acutely from stupidity and copy-catism. This malady rages on for five centuries now: Latin America has been trained to spit at the mirror, to ignore and despise the best part of herself.
"The true history of Latin America, in fact of both Americas, is an amazing fountain of dignity and beauty, Siamese twins of humiliation and horror. Rarely does her beautiful self surface in official history.
"The victorious, who justify their privileges through the right of inheritance, impose their own memory as the only and obligatory one. The official history, a shop front through which the system exhibits its antique costumes, lies in what it says — and lies more in what it hides.
"This parade of masked heroes reduces our spellbinding reality to the midget spectacle of the victory of the rich, the whites, the machos and the military."
In front of what would be the crushing victory of "them", the humble Bolivian has risen in heroic opposition as a vibrant counterpoint.
We are proud to be "the other", the one that steadfastly refuses to be duped by the ancient, European costume.
We have stopped spitting at the mirror; we drink from the fountain of dignity — of being who we truly are.
Bolivia, because of its geographical isolation and the fact that the majority population is either Indian or cholo (half-castes) is the country that has succumbed less readily to the religion and culture of the invaders.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we have best been able to bend the numbing yoke that subjugates us, and mould it to our own reality. We were able to change the language of the masters — Spanish — mix it with our indigenous languages of Quechua and Aymara to express our reality, our humour.
In one word, our uniqueness.
In much the same way, we were able to change an oppressive, monotheistic religion — transforming catholicism into a new pantheon of Christs and Virgin Marys who now have to share both heaven and hell with the ancient deities of the Incas.
These gods and demigods surface dramatically in the vibrant and distinct dances of our folklore.
The "Tio" — devil of the mines and the underworld. The "China Supay" (Satan's wife) rise from hell to dance the "Diablada" and the "Morenada" in the streets.
"Pachamama" is the "Mother Earth" of the Aymara and Quechua Indians. She is always willing to accept the sacrificial blood of campesinos, wounded in the battles of "Tinkus" — half wars, half dances, performed in various communities of the Andes regions.
Then there is the dance of the "Tobas", reminiscent of the wars of resistance that the Amazon tribes waged against the Incas.
The list goes on; Bolivian folklore is immensely rich and varied.
We sing our own song and dance our own music. It comes from the heart; from the heart of Latin America, healing as it redefines its identity.
The first cry of independence from Spanish colonial rule came from the University of Sucre in Bolivia. The first agrarian reform of the Americas happened in our country in the revolution of 1952.
We are not the only country in Latin America with a majority Indian population, yet we are the first ones to have elected an Indian head of State — President Evo Morales.
Could it be that we Bolivians have been asking this of our brothers and sisters: "When will we tire of spiting at the mirror? Nothing good comes out of that, only hatred, war and misery. United, lets lift our fallen house from the ground ..."
On March 28 and 29, the not–for–profit organisation Pro-Bolivia will have the pleasure of inviting the famous and most accomplished Bolivian singer/song writer, Luis Rico, on his second tour through Australia.
Rico's repertoire is truly amazing. His satirical songs have been a thorn on the side of corrupt politicians for decades.
He sings in favour of peace and the ecological well-being of our planet. His romantic ballads are truly moving and his joyful folkloric dances (i.e. "The Last Tinku in Paris") will make you want to get up and dance!
For these two occasions, Inka Marka (the only Andean band to win an Aria award) will be coming from Melbourne to back Rico and also play their own tunes.
Dancers will be ensembles: Bolivia Mia, Fraternidad Boliviana and Bolivia Unida — all winners of prizes in Australia.
There will be a bilingual MC, helping to make the shows more memorable for English speakers. Detailed explanations of the folkloric dances and some of Rico's songs, all translated into English, will be in the programs and given to the audience prior to the shows.
Rico's tour details:
• Saturday, March 28, 7.30pm, at the Tom Mann Theatre, 136 Chalmers St, Surry Hills. Pre-paid tickets are $30 and it is $35 at the door.
• Sunday March 29, 4pm, in the All Saints Hall, 48 George St, Liverpool. Tickets cost $15.
There will be tasty, Bolivian food for sale at both shows.
Responses so far have been great, with people booking seats from as far away as Melbourne and Canberra. The profits will go towards furniture for an age care facility, "Hogar San Martin", in El Alto, La Paz.
To book your tickets, phone Antonio on (02) 9247 4235, Juanita on 0414 824 727 or Ricardo on 0413 217 530. For the Liverpool show, phone Salustio on (02) 9610 1515 or 0419 141 068.