Скачать или смотреть CHILE: CURACAVI: ANNUAL GRAPE HARVESTING FESTIVAL

(14 Apr 1996) Spanish/Nat

Scores of towns in Chile have been celebrating the grape harvest by holding festivals.

In the town of Curacavi, the annual traditional celebration has been going for over one hundred years.

Dressed in their traditional costumes, the guasos - or cowboys - perform at Curacavi's grape harvesting festival.

It's a time for celebrations - and there's lots of singing and dancing. This is the national dance - la cueca.

The festival isn't just about wine - it's also a thanksgiving for agriculture, cattle raising and craftmaking.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"Curacavi is showing off not only its chicha and its sweets - what the town is best known for - but also the part that is agricultural, cattle raising, and craftsmaking. We want Curacavi to come out and say it is more than Chich and sweets. We have many other things."
SUPERCAPTION: Pedro Julio Maturama, Mayor of Curacavi

Mayor Maturana says the number of people taking part in the festival has doubled this year.

It's a major event for the town with everyone turning out in their best clothes. Hats are pressed, shoes polished and spurs shined.

This town, about 40 minutes southwest of the capital, Santiago, is widely known for its chicha - a fermented grape juice. Even the President drinks chicha as part of the tradition of national day celebrations.

The grapes being processed for chicha now will be ready to drink in September. The grape squeezing is called zarandeo.

Here the producer takes a gourd and tries the juice.

Cowboys display their skill and speed at managing their horses around obstacles.

Although some horses failed to cooperate, this young cowboy seemed to take it in his stride.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...