La Fiesta de la Tirana is an annual festival held in the locality of La Tirana, in Tarapacá region of northern Chile, close to the borders of Perú and Bolivia. The celebration takes place on July 16 in honor of Virgen del Carmen.
I spend six days eating, sleeping and dancing with one Diablada, Siervos de Maria, and i was able to live this amazing and colorful party in that beautiful and small andean town .
As the very first moment i stepped in town i felt dazzled, excited and with certain knowledge of being in the open guts of America Latina. This pictures are, a spinal tap, a sample, of the remains of the great andean ancient culture nowadays. This is an extraordinary and unique spectacle in the country i´m currently living and i´m grateful of being there, in that precise moment, with my camera and my eyes wide open.
There is a story about the origin of this festival. In 1540 the expedition led by Diego de Almagro (known as the discoverer of Chile) arrived to the area. There they met the Incaican princess Huillac Humu. Due to her attitude towards Spaniards she was known as La Tirana (The Tyrant). But, then one day she fell in love with one of her Spanish captives. His name was Almeyda. She wanted to get married and even become a Christian. Her community did not like her wish. Local people decided to kill the princess and her lover.
Around the year 1650, Antonio Rondón built an hermitage next to the cross of her grave. In the XVII century a church was built and around it, the town began to arise, reaching its current form before 1879. The lovers remain buried in the place where the festivity of La Tirana is celebrated.
The great festivity attracts thousands of visitors and followers. Within the July 12th and 18th, this beautiful northern town, undergoes a complete metamorphosis in which believers play music and dance as offerings to the Virgin. Around 230.000 pilgrims arrive to La Tirana during this huge festivity.
The 207 brotherhoods of religious dances come from all over the north from Arica to Copiapó, with masks and plateau-like attires, and present their offerings to the Virgin.
