IN STEREO

To have carnival as an activity of the mining sector, or as an activity of society – they are very different activities, when one participates at work and when one participates in a family. They are two activities, very different. Talking about the carnival at work, for example: in the mines, there, nobody can opt out. Nobody can say, “I want to,” or “I don’t want to,” because it is a matter of faith. It’s not anyone’s choice – it’s not like an invitation that someone extends to you, whether you want to attend or not. Everyone participates, and they know why they do it. Previously, it was another kind of manifestation of the Mardi Gras festival, coming down from the work sites.

In the memory I have since I was very young – I remember because my dad also participated – it was three Saturdays before the day of compadres that they used to go down. Everything I’m saying is not something I’ve read – it’s something I’ve experienced. They descended from the mountain, carrying their tata k’accha or Virgin Mary. They came down wrapped in streamers, drinking, but not to excess. They arrived at one of the houses. There, they finished sharing, and the next day they had to do the celebration of the mass. It was much more religious. It contrasts a lot with the temptation of the devil! You have to rescue that experience they had. Our cooperative has that idea. – Luis