LOS MORENOS DEL DESIERTO TARAPAQUEÑO. BAILE Y MÚSICA EN EL NORTE CHILENO

The dances that participate in the religious festival of la Tirana, in northern Chile, are presented in a great diversity of types and styles that respond to an ancient Andean tradition. Their documented presence dates to the end of the 19th century and their persistence in Tarapacá religiosity is because they are bearers of a message related to the redemption of marginalized castes and classes. Underlying its sound, choreutic and choreographic expressions is the drama of colonial slavery, social exclusion of the underprivileged classes during the Republican period and the saltpeter culture. This article reveals the different typologies and expressions of the morenos dances that participate in the religious fest of the Tarapacá foothills, how they have developed historically in this territory and how they have become one of the most important expressions of northern Chile.