Monday, November 21, 2011

The Culture of Peru


Have you been to Peru? Here's an elaborate description of the culture of Peru, which is made up of diversified art forms, literature and the lifestyle of Peruvians...



In one of her quotes, Margaret Mead, who was an American anthropologist, says that understanding other cultures should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate lovingly, our own. Let's understand the culture of Peru. Peruvian culture is a conglomerate of characteristic traits, which depict a particular society or a social group. It was shaped by the relationship between Hispanic and Amerindian cultures.

Peru, located on the western coast of South America, shares its borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. The Pacific Ocean guards it from the West. Lima, its capital, is the largest city in Peru. Peru varies greatly in climate and topography. The arid region along the coast, a region of high mountains in the center, and a large area of forested mountains and lowlands in the east form the three geographical regions of Peru. Geography of a country influences its culture, and this is evident even in Peru. The culture of Peru is one of the most diverse in South America.

Peruvian culture encompasses art, literature, traditions of Peru and also the Peruvian lifestyle. Diversity is at its best in Peru! Culture of Peru is primarily ingrained in Amerindian and Spanish traditions. African, Asian, and European ethnic groups have influenced Peruvian culture.

Art
Peru is known as the heart of Inca Empire. Peruvian artistic traditions can be traced back to Pre-Inca cultures. The Incas kept up these crafts. The construction of Machu Picchu illustrates the architectural achievements made by Incas. Colonial art was dominated by Baroque. Most art focused on religious subjects during this period. Jose Sabogal headed the indigenous school of painting, which dominated the cultural scene in Peru, for ten years after 1932. During the 1960s, Fernando de Szyszlo, a Peruvian artist of international recognition, became the main promoter for abstract painting and helped in modernizing Peruvian art. Peru is proud of one of the largest varieties of arts and crafts in the world. Peruvian art has combined with the art style brought by the Spanish conquistadors resulting into an art form called Naif. Young artists are encouraged by Peru's economy.

Literature
Peruvian literature has originated from the oral traditions of pre-Columbian civilizations. Spaniards initiated writing in the 16th century. 20th century was witness to writers like Ciro Alegria, Jose Maria Arguedas, and Cesar Vallejo. Mario Vargas Llosa, during the second half of the century, made Peruvian literature popular. Today many Peruvian writers are living in the USA.

Dance and Music of Peru
Marinera is known as the "National Dance of Peru". There are also dances that are associated with the agricultural work, hunting and war. Some dances show an influence of Christians. "Kashua" and the "Wayno" are two representative Andean dances. Kashua is usually danced in groups whereas Wayno is danced in couples. Peru has some dances of war like the Chiriguano and also the Carnival Dances. Dances of ritual character are the Achocallo, the Pinkillada, and the Llamerada. Llama is a South American camelid. Llamerada imitates its walk. The local community of Peru has preserved Peruvian music for thousands of years. It is a blend of Andean and Spanish styles of music. Ancient Peruvian instruments were made out of a wide variety of materials like conch shells, precious metals, horns or mud. The yaravi and the triste of the Andean origin are generally songs with emotional lyrics.

Celebrations in Peru
Peru celebrates about 3,000 festivals every year. Most of them are related to the Christian religion. Apart from Christmas, Corpus Christi or Holy Week, there are other festivals, which attempt to analogize indigenous beliefs with the Christians. "Alasitaswhich" combines a crafts and miniatures fair with dances and meals.

Cuisine in Peru
A variety of foods are eaten in Peru, the main ingredients of the food items being maize, tomatoes and potatoes. Fruits like chirimoya, lucuma and pineapple are consumed by the Peruvians. One of the typical Peruvian dishes is "ceviche", in which fish are marinated in citrus juice. The food of the Peruvians is accompanied by a refreshing drink called "chicha de jora".

People of Peru
In the words of Francis Arinze, an African prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Religion is one dimension of culture, a transcendent element of it. Peru's constitution provides for freedom of religion. Peru is mainly a Catholic country. Roman Catholicism plays a vital role in the culture and civilization of Peru. It is Peru's official religion. Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism are the other religions found in Peru. Over 50% of Peru's population lives on the coastal areas of Peru, Others live in the mountain areas. Less than 5% of the inhabitants live in the jungle areas of Peru. Around 45% of the people of Peru are indigenous, and around 37% are mestizo. The national language is Spanish. Quechua is also spoken. Cusco is seen as the cultural capital of Peru by many. On an average, 92% of the Peruvian men and about 79% of the Peruvian women are literate.

Modern culture of Peru is a combination of the ancient and the contemporary! In spite of the globalization, Peruvians of today have not forgotten their traditions. They cherish their cultural diversity.


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