They revive the old discussion about ending the swimsuit parade, a controversial item on the agenda of the Bambuco Festival in San Juan and San Pedro in Huila. Although it has been eliminated from some competitions on several occasions, it is still valid.
CATERIN MANCHOLA
@cate_manchola
In addition to the traditional aquatic parade – which this year will not take place -, where the national candidates of the Bambuco Festival in San Juan and San Pedro in Huila wear swimsuits, there are other events that are also characterized by being directly related to the beauty and are the swimsuit parades at the Club Campestre and the Tenerife Battalion.
The three differ in that only the first is completely public.
The swimsuit parades in the Miss Neiva, departmental reign and national competitions have been carried out intermittently. Specifically, this year it was scheduled for both the Country Club and the Tenerife Battalion and they corresponded to the municipal and national contest, but not the departmental one.
On other occasions, the candidates for the departmental contest have also paraded in swimsuits.
Every year, various sectors also strongly criticize these activities and that is why, on this occasion, the former Secretary of Culture, Sandra Patricia Barrios Castrillón, brought up the issue again. So did Councilwoman Lourdes Mateus.
The former secretary specified that “there were some years in which some Culture ministries removed it and others did it,” with regards, for example, to the departmental contest.
And he asked: “no more of this. No more seeing candidates at the folk festival in swimsuit parades. They are not beauty queens, they are sovereigns of folklore, they are queens who are going to represent the interpretation of the Sanjuanero Huilense dance and carry our culture and identity in the forefront so that locals and foreigners can recognize it.”
“Why take them out in a swimsuit?” he questioned. “Plain and simple because the Folk Festival is permeated by advisors of great value, but who are destroying the Folk Festival.”
Let them learn to cook
Julio César Prieto is coordinator of the Huiltur Heritage group of lookouts, from the department of Huila, and considers that the swimsuit parade has always been a ‘thorny’ issue, since “we are in festivities where, it is assumed, that people have to rescue the cultural traditions of a region.”
He explained that there has always been the proposal that the candidates for the best interpretation of the Sanjuanero Huilense dance be considered cultural ambassadors and, in that context, change the swimsuit parade for a day where they can learn to cook the dishes. typical of Huila.
“They are going to be our ambassadors. Let them learn how to make a tamale, barbecue and drinks. Let them know a little about the history. Decentralize the topic a little. Because it gives the impression that the girl only knows how to dance the Sanjuanero and remains silent like Juan Valdez, she cannot say anything about her region, only: ‘he invited her and I invite you to go to Huila, which is beautiful.’”
Also that they know more in depth the musical and dance references. “Let them learn to dance rumba criolla, Traditional Bambuco, Huilense corridor, because it would be dignifying if when they appear somewhere they show why they were chosen.”
He criticized that the festival “has been used for many things, to make a ‘splash’ of everything, to attract attention and bring more tourism and that has really affected a lot.”
Finally, she stressed that cultural ambassadors, according to UNESCO, are “to find ourselves, look at our roots, strengthen regional identity; So, I would like the swimsuit parade to be changed for a more cultural context.”
Experts agree that the idea for the swimsuit parade was brought from other regions; “who made it seem as if this was from the reign of Cartagena. “Cartagenize Sanjuanero Huilense as a kingdom.”
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