RINAKARUY
The second album of Paykuna was released on the 7th of May 2021 on SONNA Records
Rinakaruy means "to go on a journey" in Quechua, one of Bolivia's many indigenous languages. This album will take you on a journey through seven bolivian landscapes, each of the compositions portraying one of those unique places. From the calm lagoons of the bolivian highland to the busyness of the Barrio 12 de enero in Quillacollo, you will find yourself in locations that seem to be on a different planet, their essence captured in sound by the band.
The music was wonderfully visualized by our favorite artist Rafael Koller. It is composed of seven indivual pieces, which are available as posters and cards.
In addition to the music, four artistic videos were produced for this album. Continuing our collaboration with bolivian contemporary dancer Laura Mercado, Demian Coca and her put together a team of five dancers who together will travel to the places that inspired the compositions Q'ocha, Uyuni, Alas and Tunari. The team consists of Laura Mercado (artistic director, dancer), Miguel Valdivieso (coreographer, dancer), Daniel Rosas (dancer), Carolina Morón (dancer), Sol Araos (dancer), Adriana Espinoza (make up), Amalia Canedo (production) and Abner Paredes (director).
Scroll down further to discover each piece of "Rinakaruy" and get to know the story behind them. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about everything that is happening around Paykuna.
UYUNI
The Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat on earth. To many it is the most well known touristic attraction of Bolivia. But what lies beyond that trivial fact? What stories does this place hold? How does the wind that sweeps across the white desert at night sound? While standing in the middle of the lake, without sign of the world we know on the horizon, one receives a feeling of eternity. As if wandering on a different planet, yet connected to the universe. Miguel Valdivieso interprets the endlessness of this surrealistic place in the video produced in Uyuni.
Q'OCHA
Past the salt desert of Uyuni and deep inside the Altiplano colorful lagoons appear, like oases in the otherwise dry landscapes. The lagoons are a symbol of abundance, of life in a place where living is a challenge by itself. Seeing the mountains being reflected on the calm surface of a lagoon brings peace, warmth and solemnity. Carolina Morón
immerses herself in this world, dancing to the rhythm of the red soil and the lagoon's waves.
TUNARI
The Tunari national park is a diverse world with andine forests and valleys. But this piece tells the story of the top of the mountain itself. Sharp rocks and cold stones make up the scenery. This is not a place to live, yet Daniel Rosas will wander through the rocks, as an incarnation of the mountain itself. The Tunari is eternal and powerful. It's climate can be hostile and destructive, but it makes room for something new to grow.
ALAS
Alas is inspired by the vivid colours of the bolivian rainforest. It takes only six hours by bus (five if you happen to get a daring driver) from the andean city of Cochabamba to a tropical region called Chapare. Dense forests and winding rivers shape the landscapes. Deep in the heart of the woods you'll hear ongoing sound textures of the forestal beings communicating with each other. They will be represented by Laura Mercado and Sol Araos. This piece attempts to capture the transition from the andean highlands to this tropical world and its vividness.
CALLARI
Callari is an hommage to the lake Titicaca. To the inca culture, it's a place of origin, where the first human beings set foot on earth. The deep waters and an even more immense blue sky over the lake give a sense of peace and tranquility, but they also are a source of energy and power. The turquoise surface of the lake can turn completely opaque when a storm comes up, or be cristal clear on a quiet sunny day. When going under the surface and diving into the lake, there's a whole new world to be discovered.
BARRIO 12 DE ENERO, CALLE 5
The Barrio 12 de enero in Quillacollo, one of Cochabamba's many suburbs, holds a special place in Demian Coca's heart. The districts streets are so ordinary that they numbers instead of names. Almost at the end of street number 5, there's a small house in which Demian Coca's bolivian childhood took place. It is the house of his grandmother, where he would stay during the summer holidays. During the day, the street is mostly empty as the scorching sun shines down on it, only a handful of stray dogs lay on the porches of the tiny houses. It is during the night that the street is filled with live. The light of the few street lamps don't even seem to be strong enough to light the ground. Kids from all over the barrio gather at the small plaza in street number 5. They play football while the small local grocery shop has it's busy hours, people coming back from work doing their errands. It is said to be dangerous to go out alone at this time, yet the darkness of the streets of Barrio 12 de enero holds a special kind of fascination.
RINAKARUY
The title piece of this album tries to capture the feeling of travelling through the altiplano. In Bolivia travelling is always an adventure and by that we're not talking about visiting exciting places. Waiting hours for the bus, having to cross a river with a jeep and getting stuck in the middle, stopping in a small town and getting invited for lunch by people you didn't know before, picking up local people who otherwise would have to walk for days to bring their goods to the market. These are the kind of things that make travelling worthwhile, that become part of one's story.
© PAYKUNA 2020
page designed by Renaldo Vroon
artwork by Rafael Koller - www.rafaelkoller.ch
photos by Anna-Lena Holm - www.annalenaholm.com
