TRADITIONS, FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

EL COLEO

Coleo is a traditional Venezuelan and Colombian sport, very similar to a rodeo, where a small group of llaneros (cowboys) on horseback pursue cattle at high speeds through a narrow pathway (called a manga de coleo) in order to drop or tumble them.

Coleos are usually presented as a side attraction to a larger event, such as a religious festival. They are very popular in Venezuela and in parts of Colombia, mostly in the plains (llanos).

A coleo starts with the participants and a calf or bull (this depends on the age and stature of the competitors) locked behind a trap door. The trap door leads to a narrow earthen pathway about 100 metres long with high guard rails, open at the other end. When a judge gives a signal, the calf is set loose and starts running. A couple of seconds later, the riders are released and they race to grab the calf by its tail. The rider who accomplishes this first will increase speed, dragging the calf until it finally stumbles. The object is to accomplish this in the shortest time.

Coleo can be a dangerous sport, and most of the participants are male. However coleos in which all the contestants are female are not uncommon. Accidents can happen, because the riders compete aggressively and ride at high speed with minimal bodily protection. Additionally, some spectators attend coleos sitting on top of the high guard rails, and the occasional excited or drunken spectator may fall or collide with the riders or the bull itself.

Joropo

The Joropo is a musical style resembling the waltz, and an accompanying dance, having African and European influences. It is a fundamental genre belonging to Venezuela, specifically to its typical music or música criolla (creole music). It is also the most popular "folk rhythm": the well-known song "Alma Llanera" is a joropo, considered the unofficial national anthem of Venezuela.


In 1882 it became Venezuela's national dance. Formerly, the Spanish word joropo meant "a party", but now it has come to mean a type of music and dance that identifies Venezuelans. This is because in the 18th century the llaneros started using the word “joropo” instead of the word "fandango", which was the word used at the time for party and dance.


Classification


There are three types of joropo: llanero, central, and oriental.


• The joropo llanero is played with the nylon stringed harp, bandola llanera, the cuatro, and the maracas.


• The joropo central is played with a metal stringed harp, maracas, and voice.


• The joropo oriental has additional instruments such as guitar, mandolin, bandola oriental and (rarely) accordion.






Playing


The Joropo is played with the arpa llanera (harp), bandola, cuatro, and maracas (ibid), making use of polyrhythmic patterns, especially of hemiola, and alternation of 3/4 and 6/8 tempos. It was originally played, most often also sung, by the llaneros, the inhabitants of Colombian and Venezuela Llanos (plains), and thus also called música llanera (ibid).


The singer and the harp or bandola may perform the main melody while a cuatro performs the accompaniment, adding its characteristic rhythmic, sharp percussive effect. The cuatro and the bandola are four-stringed instruments which are descendants of the Spanish guitar. The only real percussion instruments used are the maracas. Besides the genre and dance, the name joropo also means the performance, the event or occasion of performance.


Dancing


The joropo adopted and still uses the hand turn, the movement of the feet, and waltz turns. First, the partners dance a type of waltz holding each other tightly. Then they stand facing each other and make small steps forward and backward as if sweeping the floor. Lastly they hold each others’ arms, and the woman does sweeping steps while the man stomps his feet along with the music’s rhythm.


Evolution and more refined forms


In modern times, several other instruments have been adding themselves to playing various parts in Joropo performances, for instance, guitar, flute, clarinet, piano, and so on, up to having a complete symphony orchestra playing Joropo arrangements. Since the 1950s the Venezuelan composer Aldemaro Romero pioneered praiseworthy orchestrations of numerous Joropos, among other native Venezuelan genres, allowing international audiences to enjoy the beautiful Venezuelan music, albeit in a more conventional presentation. Curiously enough, it often happens that when a Symphony Orchestra plays a Joropo, the cuatro is still included.

EL CONTRAPUNTEO

The Contrapunteo is a musical genre that has typically been developed in Venezuela. It is the confrontation between two or more people who play with improvised verse and song, which is called música llanera. Who troves better is the winner, the container must follow the rhyme as the last words of the challenger, they usually used llanos words to rhyme typical.

FOOD

 

LLANOS` FOOD 

MAMONA

 

The most famous dish of the llanos, and perhaps the most spectacular of Colombia's immensely varied regional cuisines, is their barbecue. Large cuts of meat are skewered on six foot long metal poles that are leaned vertically toward pits smoldering with hardwood fires. Six to eight hours of slow cooking later, the fat has rendered into a crisp shell and the meat is tender enough to shred with the fingers while still retaining plenty of moisture. Just like the brisket of Texas, seasoning is very sparse seasoning—most often just a heavy sprinkle of salt and perhaps a douse of beer—it's the flavor of the hardwood that dominates.

Ternera a la Llanera (known locally as mamona), the barbecued quarter of a veal calf, is the most famous incarnation, though my personal favorite is chiguiro, the large aquatic rodent more commonly known in the U.S. by it's Brazilian Portuguese name capybara. With succulent white meat and a healthy amount of fat, it's closest comparison is pork shoulder, though chiguiro is far more flavorful, with a slight gamey undertone. For a giant rat, it's shockingly good, though unfortunately, according to at least one local source, the species has recently been deemed threatened, and is no longer available for legal sale.

Deeper in the llanos, heading towards the more dangerous Guerilla territory, I'm told that giant armadillo is not an uncommon item for barbecue, though according to an 1880 article from the New York Times, the meat is greasy. I hope to judge for myself these days. I've yet to meet a quadruped I didn't like.

Even more troubling is talk of the government banning the use of open fires altogether, wood or otherwise. It'd be a tremendous blow to the culinary world. Imagine every barbecue joint in Texas suddenly switching from wood and coal to gas pits. There'd be an understandable uproar. My recommendation: Get down there and try it before it's too late.

Of all the meats on offer, pork is oddly enough the only one I've eaten with consistently mediocre results. Perhaps the Colombian pork is drier, or perhaps it's that the Colombians are wise enough to use the fatty cuts like the butt, belly, and ham in their wonderful, lightly fermented and semi-dried chorizo and longaniza, leaving the drier loin cuts for the pits. They do develop crisp skin and a great smoke ring, and forget about making pulled pork out of it, but doused with enough aji—the Colombian version of Mexican salsa that ranges from mild boiled egg-based versions to fiery chili sauces—almost any meat is edible.

The simplest aji I know is as easy and delicious as it gets: chop up an onion, some hot peppers, and cilantro, top up with water, and season with salt aggressively. Try it. Seriously.

Eat sausages at every opportunity you get, whether in the Llanos or not. Different from dry-cured Spanish chorizo or crumbly Mexican chorizo, Colombian chorizo is mildly seasoned by comparions. Their flavor comes mostly from the tang of partial fermentation, which lands them somewhere between a fresh Bratwurst and a dried Italian salami or a saucisson sec in flavor.

Rivers and Rice

Though they don't quite share the same deserved fame and spotlight as the barbecue, fried fish and rice and corn-based breads are ubiquitous foodstuffs in the Llanos. Fresh river fish like the large amarillo or the piraña-shaped cachama are caught and cooked up coastal-style, served with fried plantains of two types: the smashed green plantains known as pataconestostones is the more familiar term to us), and sweet, ripe black plantains called maduros.

Before frying, the fish is scored at microscopic intervals all along both sides in order to break up some of the many bones, tenderize the flesh, and help it cook faster.

Before frying, the fish is scored at microscopic intervals all along both sides in order to break up some of the many bones, tenderize the flesh, and help it cook faster. After a quick dusting in highly seasoned corn meal, it goes into the fryer where it crisps up within minutes. Served with the highly acidic orange-fleshed limes of the region, it's moist, juicy, well-balanced, and perfectly satisfying, with none of the muddy flavors that farm-raised freshwater fish can carry.

Breakfast can be as simple as cheese, coffee, and fresh fruit  or heartier working-man fare: A cazuelita of fresh, bright orange eggs served with crisp, rice-based rosquitas (or pan de arróz)—circular crackers with the tang of a Cheez Doodle—or envueltos de mazorca—steamed, lightly charred tamale-like corn cakes with the sweetness and moist, coarse crumb of good Northern-style cornbread.

In the end, do not miss the chance to eat such a delicious food as the llanera one.

DEPARTMENTS UBICATED IN THE ORINOQUIA REGION

ARAUCA 

 

Capital: Arauca 

Established: July 4th, 1991

Population: 208.605

Area: 23,818 km2 (9,196.2 sq mi)

Density: 8.8/km2 (22.7/sq mi)

It limits to the north with the Arauca River that separates it from Venezuela, to the east with Venezuela, to the south with the departments of Vichada and Casanare, and to the west with Boyacá. It consists of seven municipalities: Arauca , Arauquita, Cravo Norte, Fortul, Puerto Rondón, Saravena and Tame.

History

The first conqueror to arrive was Nicholas Araucanian lands Federman in the year 1539, accompanied by George of Speyer, passing through the eastern mountains. In 1659, the mission moved into the forest in tribal lands Guahibos, TuneBase, Aeric and Chirico, where they founded new towns.

In the eighteenth century, being expelled from the Jesuits, being Viceroy Pedro Mesia de la Zerda, were succeeded in their mission of evangelization by the Augustinian Recollect, who founded five centers catechists: Solitude of Cravo, Cuiloto San Javier, San Jose del Ele, Lipa San Joaquin and San Fernando de Arauca.

In 1810 the Araucanian territory became part of the newly created province of Casanare, in 1819 became part of the department of Cundinamarca, and thereafter, by the year 1857 was annexed to the Sovereign State of Boyacá, later to be so Boyaca department. In 1891 he created the Arauca police station and had the chief executive of General Pedro Leon Acosta. By decree 113 of January 20, 1955, the territory was elevated to national quartermaster, and finally with the Constitution, 5 July 1991 as a department erected along with other municipal and City comisarías. Arauca is the regional capital since 1911.

Ethnography

• Mestizo of mixed European-Amerindian backgrounds (could be over half or 60%) and White/unmixed European (about 33-35%) totalled at 93.70%.

• Black or Afro-Colombians (4.07%).

• Amerindian or Indigenous (2.22%).

• Roma (0.01%).

• Asian (0.01%).

There are few numbers of descendants of European immigrants: the Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, British, Dutch, Polish, Greek and Arab (i.e. Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian).

Many Venezuelan-born nationals live in the department, but around 10-15% of the population are from Venezuela.

Indigenous Population

The department's total indigenous population amounts to 3591 people. Its territory is located 26 guards in an area of 128,167 hectares. Here are 6 indigenous peoples, with the following people: U'wa (1124 members), Betoyes (800 members), Sikuani (782 members), Hitnü(441 members), Kuiba (241 members), Hitanü (110 members), Chiricoa  (63 members) and Piapoco (30 members).

• U'wa: The predominant ethnic group in the department. They are located in the north eastern abutment of the Cordillera Oriental, to the Nevado del Cocuy. Those people belong to the Chibcha linguistic family. Its name means "intelligent people who can speak". 

• Betoyes: by its people constitute the largest ethnic group in the department. Living on the River Cravo and the municipality of Tame. The area of its territory is 702 hectares. Its population is estimated at 800 people. Their language comes from the Chibcha language family. Although not retain their original language, speak a Betoyes mixed with Spanish, where they remain certain grammatical structures of this. 

• Guahibos: appellation by which they are known Sikuani, Kuiba, Chiricoa, Hitanü (iguana) and Hitnü (Macaguane), who speak languages Guajiboan.

Economy

Its economy is based on the oil industry. The soils of the region have shown good conditions for growing cacao, banana, cassava, rice, corn and fruit trees, as well as industrial crops such as African palm, sorghum, soybeans and sesame. Livestock is another important item in the department's economy.

CASANARE 

Capital: Yopal

Established: July 4th, 1991

Population: 282,452

Area: 44,640 km2 (17,235.6 sq mi)

Density: 6.3/km2 (16.4/sq mi)

It limits to the north with Arauca, to the east and the south with Meta and to the west with Boyacá.

It consists of nineteen municipalities: Aguazul, Chameza, Hato Corozal, La Salina, Maní, Monterrey, Nunchía, Orocue, Paz de Ariporo, Pore, Recetor, Sabanalarga, Sacama, San Luis de Palenque, Tamara, Tauramena, Trinidad, Villanueva and Yopal.

History

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the territory of Casanare was inhabited by diverse indigenous groups such as the guahibos and tunebos.

The conquest and occupation of the territory was carried out from the XVI century along the whole colonial period. In 1588 the first capital called Santiago de las Atalayas was found.

During the XVIII century the Jesuit contributed to the foundation of several municipalities in the department, as Mani, Támara, Tauramena and Trinidad. During the confrontations that drove to the independence, the llaneros participated actively in the wars that occurred in their territory. By the middle of the XX century, during the period of violence that the country lived, arrived emigrants from the departments of Boyacá and Santander. At that time there were consolidated several municipalities as it was the case of Monterrey and San Luis de Palenque.

Economy

The economy is sustained in the agriculture, the cattle raising and the exploitation of petroleum. The residents cultivate coffee, yucca, corn, fruit-bearing, cocoa, rice, banana, sugar cane, cotton, African palm, sorghum and vegetables in the municipalities of Monterrey, Villanueva, Aguazul, Támara, San Luis de Palenque, Sácama, Orocué and Pore. The cattle raising has two purposes: the production of meat and milk, and it is developed in the municipalities of Villanueva, Trinidad, Tauramena, San Luis de Palenque, Támara and Nunchía, among others. The exploitation of petroleum is carried out in the municipalities of Aguazul and Tauramena.

META 

Capital: Villavicencio

Established: July 1st, 1960

Population: 789,276

Area: 85,635 km2 (33,063.9 sq mi)

Density: 9.2/km2 (23.9/sq mi)

It limits to the north with the departments of Cundinamarca and Casanare, to the east with Vichada, to the south with the departments of Guaviare and Caquetá, and to the west with the departments of Caquetá and Huila. It consists of twenty nine municipalities: Acacias, Barranca de Upia, Cabuyaro, Castilla la Nueva, El Calvario, El. Castillo, El Dorado, Fuente de Oro, Guamal, La Macarena, La Uribe, Lejanías, Mapiripán, Mesetas, Puerto Concordia, Puerto Gaitan, Puerto Lleras, Puerto Lopez, Puerto Rico, Restrepo, San Carlos de Guaroa, San Juan de Arama, San Juanito, Granada, Vista Hermosa, San Martin, Cubarral, Cumaral, Villavicencio.

History

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the department was inhabited by the indigenous Guahibos, Huitotos, Piapocos, family members of Caribe and Arawak. Today some of these communities still survive. The conquest and occupation of the territory was carried out since 1531, when Diego de Ordás made his first incursion in the territory. He was followed by Alonso de Herrera, Nicolás Federmann and Hernán Pérez de Quesada.

This territory formed part of the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. From 1867 it was national territory, and in 1909 it was declared intendency until 1959 when it became a department.

Economy

People work in the cattle raising, the agriculture and as merchants. After the department was colonized in the last decades of the XX century, the colonists started to exploit the natural resources. However, the peasants and colonists cultivate rice, sorghum, corn, sugar cane, banana, yucca, cocoa and cotton in the municipalities of Acacías, Barranca de Upía, Cumaral, El Castillo, Granada and Mesetas what makes them one of the main producers of these products in Colombia.

The cattle raising, the production of milk and meat, is an activity developed mainly in San Martin, Cabuyaro, Granada, Puerto López and Puerto Gaitán. The forest exploitation is carried out in La Uribe, La Macarena and Lejanias.

 VICHADA

 

Capital: Puerto Carreño

Established: July 5th, 1991

Population: 97,276

Area: 100,242 km2 (38,703.7 sq mi)

Density: 1/km2 (2.5/sq mi)

It limits to the north with the departments of Casanare and Meta and with Venezuela, to the east with Venezuela, to the south with the departments of Guainía and Guaviare, and to the west with Meta.

It consists of four municipalities: Cumaribo, La Primavera, Puerto Carreño, Santa Rosalia 

History

In 1913 the government of Colombia created the commissary of Vichada and the capital was established in a locality known as El Picacho between the Meta and Orinoco rivers. The town was named Puerto Carreño in honor of Pedro María Carreño, then acting Minister of Government.

In August 1974, Puerto Carreño was elevated to the category of municipality by decree 1594 of that same year. Besides, on July 5, 1991 Vichada was elevated to the category of department and Puerto Carreño as its capital. 

Economy 

The economy of the department is based on the government services, the extensive cattle raising and the extractive activities. The natural National Park El Tuparro, the center Gaviotas and the project Marandúa, besides of being huge touristic attractions they constitute the projects to improve the people´s quality of life in this department

Tourist places

Tourist Attractions

Botanic Garden of Villavicencio   

It is located 2 Km. away from the capital, by road to Azotea neighborhood, covers 40 hectares of native forest.

It was created in 1983; it promotes the preservation and spreading of vegetation, researches, environmental and ecological education; so that it is the perfect to further the knowledge about Villavicencio vegetation.

Monument to Cristo Rey

The monument to Cristo Rey, was inaugurated in 1954, it is located in the high zone on Redentor hill, situated in Llano avenue. It is the perfect place to enjoy spectacular views to the city.

Parks

Parque de la Vida (park)

It is one of the best attractions for recreation and sport in the llano, has conference halls for having cultural exhibitions, restaurant, swimming pool and green areas. It is located on the Circunvalar avenue.

Parque de los Libertadores

The Libertadores park is considered one of the best one in the capital; there, the busts of Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Paula Santander are located.

Las Malokas Park

Las Malokas shows the culture of llanos, taking part in the Colombian history, in an environment surrounded by exotic flora and varied samples of bovine, equine and other animals.

Inside the thematic park, there are exhibitions about the worse life world, it is the perfect place to learn about them, its habitat, characteristics, the stables, the llano work, the cultivation area of manioc banana and tapocho.

It has the best stables in the region where many breeds live. In the “manga de coleo” the llanero work is dramatized , how they mount horses, milk cows, lasso calves and the horse racing.

Outside the manga de coleo, people can taste the cutlet, the mamona, the hayacas and the cachapas typical food of llanos.

El Hacha Park

It was built in 1977 in honor to Jose Eustaquio Rivera, poet and novelist who wrote “The Vorágine” whose book is about legends of llanos of Amazon jungle and the Orinoco. The axe represents the farm laborer effort.

Ocarros Bio Park

Los Ocarros Bio Park,

a natural reserve, is a place dedicated to natural richness of the region. There, people will appreciate many animals and the diverse fauna. It has big green areas, paths, serpentarium and aquarium.

It is the firs zoo in the country where live regional animals of the llano, has different ecosystems, varied fauna and typical flora of Colombian Orinoquia.

THE LLANOS ORIENTALES´ BIRDS

Around 470 species of birds live in the Llanos Orientales of Colombia. This area is not characterized for having endemic species, since most of the avifauna is shared with Venezuela, due to the similarity in our plain ecosystems.

Nevertheless, there are some native species such as:

 

 

The Stinking Pava Hoatzin (Opisthocomus Hoazin)

 Guianian Cock-of- the- rock (Rupicola rupicola)

Orinoco Goose (Neochen Jubata)

 Colombian Chachalaca (Ortalis Colombianus)

and many mammals. Besides, there are several species of ducks, storks, ibexes, herons and picocucharas such as:

 ducks (Dendrocygna Whistling- Ducks)

storks (Mycteria, Ciconia,Jabiru, Storks)

ibexes (Phimosus, Edocimus Ibis)

herons (Ardea, Egretta Egrets and Herons) 

  picocucharas (Platalea Spoonbills)

San Martin

SAN MARTIN META

IS ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWNS OF COLOMBIA.IT HAS 422 YEARS OF AGE.SAN MARTIN IS VERY FAMOUS FOR THE TRADITIONAL  CUADRILLAS CALLED SAN MARTINERAS.THESE CUADRILLAS ARE  EQUESTRIAN CHOREOGRAPHES WHICH  SIMBOLIZE THE BATTLE  AMONG  ESPAÑOLES  AND   ARABES.

PICTURES OF THE TRADITIONAL  CUADRILLLAS SAN MARTINERAS   

                                          

COLOMBIAN LLANOS

The Llanos Orientales of Colombia have an extension of about 250.000 square kilometers covered largerly by natural pastures. Its main river is the Orinoco, which forms part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela.

The floors are not very fertile but capable for the extensive cattle raising. The population is relatively scarce and it is dispersed along the plains.  The economy in The Plains is based mainly on the extensive cattle raising and in the extraction of petroleum. In the plains of Arauca is ubicated Caño Limon, one of the main oil locations of Colombia.

The Llanos Orientales is culturally dominated by the llanero. The llanero has very grateful particularities: he is hard-working and dedicated to the livestock upbringing (the cowboy par excellence of Colombia).

The folclor of the Orinoquía is based on rhythms from Spain, blended with the indigenous native music and African music. From this mixture were born diverse rhythms such as pasajes, joropo recio, seis por derecho, pajarillo, contrapunteo y galerón. Moreover, this region is characterized, in the instrumental environment, for the use of the strings in instruments such as el arpa llanera, el cuatro, la bandola, la bandolina and in some cases, el bajo acústico. These instruments accompanied by capachos o maracas, and el bajo cicerro make the llanera music the official rythm of this Colombian region.