Inti Raymi in New York!

On June 24 our friends at AbyaYala Arte y Cultura are staging the ancient Andean ceremony of the Inti Raymi -- the Feast of the Sun -- in downtown Manhattan! Dancing, music, food and theater in celebration of Mother Earth. Read more below: (Versión en español aqui)

For the second consecutive year, representatives of all the Andean communities will celebrate the ancient ceremony of the Inti Raymi, or Feast of the Sun, in downtown Manhattan. In this elaborate pageant the peoples of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile thank mother earth for her bountiful crop. This year, the ceremony will be dedicated to the preservation of our world’s environment.

On June 24, The New York-based Andean organization AbyaYala Arte y Cultura, will stage the Inti Raymi in the esplanade of St. Mark’s Church (corner of 2nd Avenue and 10th street in Manhattan), with the participation of more than 50 actors, dancers, musicians, painters, and singers. Architects who are members of AbyaYala have specially designed the Usnu (altar) where the Inca and his court will reenact the ritual of the “ llama sacrifice” and will read in its “magical heart” the future for the Inca and for his people.

This presentation celebrates the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere, when the Sun is farthest from the earth. On this day (North America's Summer Solstice), South American indigenous cultures will gather to honor, thank and give tribute to the Sun God with dancing, music, food and theatrical representations.

This festival will also include activities for the whole family. For example, participants may partake of Andean culinary workshops, have their picture taken with a llama and purchase handmade Andean arts and crafts. A special program at 11:00 am will teach children phrases in Quechua, invite them to make a Quipu (a system of knotting twine to record quantities and history) and enable them to learn and enact a simple dance. Special dance performances, including a representative presentation of the breathtaking "Scissor Dance," will continue until 6:00 P.M. The staging of the ritual ceremony will take place at 2:30 P.M. Donation: $15.00 adults, children 6 to 13 years of age $5.00.

For more information, contact Patricia Aranibar.

Comments

[Andy]

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[Vinicio]

nice blog, oh i didnt known there was a inti raymi celebration dowtown. There was another celbration on flushing park, but los Otavalos and some canarejos (me) where im from celebrate it on tuesday in an undisclosed location, hehe

keep up the good work.

[kay]

..just a correction...the Otavalenos have been celebrating the Inti Raymi in Manhattan since the 80s..I attended one of the first at the Native American Museum (not the new one) Fabian Muenala, of the Muyuy Cultural Center helped organize it.