
Cueca () is a family of musical styles and associated dances from
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, and
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially declared as such by the
Pinochet dictatorship on September 18, 1979.
Origins
While cueca's origins are not clearly defined, it is considered to have mostly European
Spanish and arguably indigenous influences. The most widespread version of its origins relates it with the
zamacueca
The Zamacueca is an ancient colonial dance and music that originated in the Viceroyalty of Peru, taking its roots from Spanish, and Andean rhythms.
See also
*Dances of Peru
*Latin American music
The music of Latin America refers to mus ...
which arose in
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
as a variation of Spanish
Fandango
Fandango is a lively partner dance originating in Portugal and Spain, usually in triple metre, triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, tambourine or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is u ...
dancing with ''
criollo
Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to:
People
* Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system.
Animals
* Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America.
* Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...
''. The dance is then thought to have passed to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
and
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
, where its name was shortened and where it continued to evolve. Due to the dance's popularity in the region, the Peruvian evolution of the zamacueca was nicknamed "la chilena", "the Chilean", due to similarities between the dances. Later, after the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
, the term
marinera, in honor of Peru's naval combatants and because of
hostile attitude towards Chile, was used in place of "la chilena". In March 1879 the writer and musician
Abelardo Gamarra
Abelardo is a masculine given name. It is an Italian form of the name ''Abelard''. Sometimes used as a variant of Abel.
As a given name
* Abelardo Aguilar, Filipino doctor and researcher
* Abelardo Aguilú Jr. (c. 1870–c. 1940), Puerto Rica ...
[ El Tunante (sábado 8 de marzo de 1879). «Crónica local - No más chilenas». ''El Nacional''. «No más chilenas.—Los músicos y poetas criollos tratan de poner punto final a los bailes conocidos con el nombre de chilenas; quieren que lo nacional, lo formado en el país no lleve nombre extranjero: se han propuesto bautizar, pues, los bailes que tienen el aire y la letra de lo que se lla aa chilena, con el nombre de ''Marineras''. Tal título tiene su explicación: Primero, la época de su nacimiento será conmemorativa de la toma de Antofagasta por los buques chilenos —cuestión marina. Tendrá la alegría de la marina peruana al marchar al combate —cuestión marina. Su balance gracioso imitará el vaivén de un buque sobre las ajitadas olas —cuestión marina. Su fuga será arrebatadora, llena de brío, endiablada como el combate de las dos escuadras, si llega a realizarse —cuestión marina. Por todas estas razones, los nuevos bailes se llamarán, pues, ''marineras'' en vez de chilenas. El nombre no puede ser más significativo, y los músicos y poetas criollos se hallan ocupados en componer para echar a volar por esas calles, letra y música de los nuevos bailes que se bailan, como las que fueron chilenas y que en paz descansen ..(ortografía original)».][ Gamarra, Abelardo M. (1899). «El baile nacional». ''Rasgos de pluma''. Lima: V. A. Torres. p. 25. «El baile popular de nuestro tiempo se conoce con diferentes nombres ..y hasta el año 79 era más generalizado llamarlo chilena; fuimos nosotros los que ..creímos impropio mantener en boca del pueblo y en sus momentos de expansión semejante título y sin acuerdo de ningún concejo de Ministros, y después de meditar en el presente título, resolvimos sustituir el nombre de chilena por el de marinera (ortografía original)».] renamed the "chilena" as the "
marinera".
[Chávez Marquina, Juan Carlos (2014)]
«Historia de Trujillo - Breve historia de la marinera»
www.ilustretrujillo.com. Consultado el 4 de marzo de 2014. «Según el ..argentino Carlos Vega, esta variante a cueca chilenatuvo gran éxito en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, cuyo intercambio musical alcanzó a diversos países de Latinoamérica, incluido Perú. La "cueca" chilena fue conocida en otros países sencillamente como "la chilena", y en Perú, la primera referencia registrada apareció en el periódico ''El Liberal'' del 11 de septiembre de 1867, como un canto popular de jarana. Para aquella época, las peculiaridades de la zamacueca adoptaron diversos nombres .. "El baile popular de nuestro tiempo se conoce con diferentes nombres ..y hasta el 89 era más generalizado llamarlo chilena; fuimos nosotros los que ..creímos impropio mantener en boca del pueblo y en momentos de expansión semejante título, y sin acuerdo de ningún Consejo de Ministros, y después de meditar en el presente título, resolvimos sustituir el nombre de chilena por el de marinera .. (Gamarra)».[«Danzas folklóricas argentinas: Coreografías: La cueca - la chilena o norteña»](_blank)
(HTM). www.folkloretradiciones.com.ar. 2005. Consultado el 2007. «Del Perú, alrededor de 1824-25, la ''zamacueca'' desciende a Chile, donde es recibida con tal entusiasmo en todas las clases sociales que se convierte en la expresión coreográfica nacional. Los chilenos, a su variante local le llamaron ''zamacueca chilena'' que, más tarde por aféresis redujeron la voz ''zamacueca'' a sus sílabas finales, ''cueca''. Con el nombre de ''zamacueca'' primero y luego con el de ''cueca chilena'', esta danza pantomímica de carácter amatorio pasa a rgentinaa través de las provincias cuyanas. n Argentinael nombre también sufrió modificaciones; en la región de Cuyo quedó el de ''cueca''; para las provincias del noroeste y Bolivia quedó el de ''chilena''. En el Perú se usó también el nombre de ''chilena'' como referencia geográfica de la variante de la zamacueca, pero ..lo cambia por el de ''marinera'' .. nombre con el que perdura hasta hoy». The
Marinera,
Zamba and the Cueca styles are distinct from each other and from their root dance, the zamacueca.
Another theory is that Cueca originated in the early nineteenth century
bordellos of South America, as a ''pas de deux'' facilitating partner finding.
The usual interpretation of this courting dance is
zoomorphic
The word ''zoomorphism'' derives from and . In the context of art, zoomorphism could describe art that imagines humans as non-human animals. It can also be defined as art that portrays one species of animal like another species of animal or art ...
: it tries to reenact the courting ritual of a
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
and a
hen
Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman.
Hen, HEN or Hens may also refer to:
Places Norway
*Hen, Buskerud, a village in R ...
. The male displays a quite enthusiastic and at times even aggressive attitude while attempting to court the female, who is elusive, defensive and demure. The dance often finishes with the man kneeling on one knee, with the woman placing her foot triumphantly on his raised knee.
In Bolivia, there are many variations throughout the different regions. Cueca styles of La Paz, Potosí and Sucre are the elegant and static versions, whereas in Cochabamba and Tarija the style is much livelier and free. The same could be said with the music where in different regions rhythm and speed slightly differ amongst the regions. While dancing, handkerchiefs are used by both male and female dancers by twirling over the head. It is said the twirling of the handkerchief is a way to lure the woman.
History in Chile
In Chile, the cueca developed and spread in bars and taverns, which were popular centers of entertainment and parties in the nineteenth century. During Fred Warpole's stay in Chile between 1844 and 1848, he described some characteristics of the dance:
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
or
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
accompaniment, hand drumming or
tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...
for rhythm, high-pitched singing, and a unique strumming pattern where the guitarist strums all the strings, punctuated by a slap on the guitar body.
The Chilean cueca is not just Zamacueca; it is a blend of different dances of the time, with Zamacueca being just one influential aspect. The Chilean cueca is highly structured in terms of dance, lyrics, and music, akin to early European dances from colonial times. While the genre does incorporate some Afro-oriented aspects like Zamacueca, cueca represents a fusion of various genres. To understand its evolution, one should observe the different Spanish, European, and popular dances of the era. The Arab-Andalusian influence is considered the most significant contribution to cueca in all aspects—dancing, singing, and tempo—and is regarded as its primary root.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, cueca spread to various
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
n countries, where the dance became known simply as the "
chilena" (Chilean).
In Argentina, cueca first appeared in
Cuyo, in the central west of the country near the Chilean border, documented as early as around 1840. Unlike the northeast and central west, in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
the dance was known as "cueca" rather than "chilena", with documented presence from the 1850s onward. Similarly, in Bolivia, like much of Argentina, the dance was referred to as "chilena".
Chilean sailors and adventurers carried cueca to the Mexican coast, specifically in
Guerrero
Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...
and
Oaxaca
Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...
, where the dance was also called "chilena". In Peru, the dance became immensely popular during the 1860s and 1870s and was also known as the "chilena".
Twentieth century
During the twentieth century, cueca became associated with the common man in Chile, and through them, the dance spread to pre-industrialized urban areas such as La Vega, Estación, and Matadero, which were on the outskirts of
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
at the time. In the 1970s, cueca and
Mexican music enjoyed similar levels of popularity in the Chilean countryside.
Due to being distinctly Chilean, cueca was chosen by Pinochet's military dictatorship to be promoted.
Cueca was officially declared the national dance of Chile due to its significant presence throughout the country's history, announced via a public decree in the Official Journal (Diario Oficial) on November 6, 1979.
[Ministerio Secretaría General de Gobierno (06 de noviembre de 1979)]
«Decreto 23: Declara a la cueca danza nacional de Chile»
''Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile'', consultado el 1 de marzo de 2011. Emilio Ignacio Santana, a cueca specialist, argues that the dictatorship's appropriation and promotion of cueca had negative effects on the genre.
According to Santana, the dictatorship's endorsement resulted in the wealthy landlord (
huaso) becoming the icon associated with cueca, rather than the rural laborer.
Cueca sola
is a solo variant of the cueca created in 1978 by
Violeta Zúñiga and other members of the
Association of Families of the Detained-Disappeared (AFDD) as a non-violent protest against the Pinochet dictatorship. In this form of cueca, a woman (
arpillerista) dances alone while holding a photograph of her
disappeared loved one.
During the television
campaign advertising
In politics, campaign advertising is propaganda through the media to influence a political debate and, ultimately, voting. Political consultants and political campaign staff design these ads. Many countries restrict the use of broadcast media ...
the "No" option in the
1988 Chilean national plebiscite
A referendum on whether Augusto Pinochet, the head of a Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–90), military dictatorship, should become president for eight years under resumed civilian rule was held in Chile on 5 October 1988. The "No" side won ...
, a group of women (played by real-life relatives of the disappeared) performed the cueca sola. This powerful display of resistance was later re-enacted by surviving members of the group for the 2012
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-nominated film
''No'', directed by
Pablo Larraín
Pablo Larraín Matte (; born 19 August 1976) is a Chilean filmmaker. He is known for directing films such as ''Neruda (film), Neruda'' (2016), ''Jackie (2016 film), Jackie'' (2016), ''Spencer (film), Spencer'' (2021), ''El Conde (film), El Cond ...
.
The symbolic gesture of cueca sola inspired the 1987 song "
They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" by
Sting.
Clothing and dance
The clothing worn during the cueca dance is traditional Chilean attire. Men typically wear a huaso's hat, shirts, a flannel
poncho
A poncho (; ; ; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is a kind of plainly formed, loose outer garment originating in the Americas, traditionally and still usually made of fabric, and designed to keep the body warm. Ponchos have been used by the Indige ...
, riding pants, short jacket, riding boots, and spurs. Women wear flowered dresses.
The cueca dance itself symbolizes a rooster-chicken relationship. The man initiates the dance by approaching the woman and offering his arm. The woman then accompanies him, and together they walk around the room. They eventually face each other, each holding a handkerchief in the air, and begin dancing. Although they do not touch physically, they maintain contact through facial expressions and movements that convey flirtation and courtship.
Throughout the dance, it is customary for the pair to wave a white handkerchief, which is an essential element of the cueca.
Basic structure

The basic structure of the cueca is that it is a compound meter in or and is divided into three sections.
Some differences can be noticed depending on geographical location. There are three distinct variants in addition to the traditional cueca:
* The northern cueca: The main difference with this version is that there is no singing in the accompanying music which is played with only sicus, zamponas, and brass.
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
s,
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...
s. Also, both the music and the dance are slower. This dance is done during religious ceremonies and carnival.
* The cueca from the central region: This genre is mostly seen in Chile. The guitar, accordion, guitarron, and percussion are the prevailing instruments.
*The
Chiloé cueca: This form has the absence of the cuarteta. The seguidilla are repeated and there is a greater emphasis on the way the lyrics are presented by the vocalist.
Contemporary cueca
Currently, the cueca remains a vibrant tradition primarily celebrated in Chilean countryside regions, especially during the
national holidays National holiday may refer to:
*General strike, a mass work stoppage as part of an industrial dispute
*National day, a day when a nation celebrates a very important event in its history, such as its establishment
*Public holiday, a holiday establish ...
on September 18th. Cueca tournaments are popular events held around this time of year, showcasing regional variations and styles.
In Bolivia, cueca styles vary significantly by region: cueca paceña, cueca cochabambina, cueca chuquisaqueña, cueca tarijeña, cueca potosina, and cueca chaqueña. While they share a common rhythm, each style differs in speed, costumes, and mannerisms. Cueca styles in
La Paz
La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
,
Potosí
Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Potosí Department, Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the list of highest cities in the world, highest cities in the wo ...
, and
Sucre
Sucre (; ) is the ''de jure'' capital city of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the sixth most populous city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . This relatively high ...
are known for their elegance, whereas in
Cochabamba
Cochabamba (; ) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital (political), capital of the Cochabamba Department and the list of cities in Bolivia, fourth largest city in Bolivia, with ...
and
Tarija, the dance is characterized by liveliness. In Bolivia, it is often referred to as "cuequita boliviana".
In Argentina, cueca is danced in various ways across different provinces, predominantly in the northern and western regions such as Mendoza, Chaco, Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca, and La Rioja. Each Argentine province has its distinct style and approach to dancing cueca.
Cueca in Tarija, Bolivia
Tarija, Bolivia, boasts a few traditional songs accompanied by dances, one of which is the cueca tarijeña. Despite sharing its name with dances from other departments, such as the cueca paceña representing La Paz, each department's dance varies significantly. The cueca tarijeña is known for its upbeat, fun, and playful nature compared to others that are more tranquil. Additionally, Tarija was the first place to incorporate a violin into the song, adding flair and excitement. Since its origin, the cueca has been a source of happiness for dancers due to its lively music and the requirement for partners to engage enthusiastically with each other.
The cueca is danced with a handkerchief, symbolizing affection for others. Participants start with the handkerchief in their right hand, twirling it near their shoulder and then waving it by the left side of their waist on certain beats. Throughout the dance, the man seeks to impress his partner with his dancing skills. The dance reflects Bolivia's male-dominated gender roles; while men perform intricate movements and spin, women mostly sway their hips. It is designed for women to showcase their beauty and for men to display their talent. The women follow the male lead, who decides whether to flirt by placing the handkerchief near her neck and shoulders, hold it behind her neck with both hands, or simply wave it near his shoulder and waist if he chooses not to flirt. This determines whether they will continue dancing together in the next part of the song or find other partners.
See also
*
Chinchinero
References
External links
*
Demonstrationof Bolivian cueca (and other
folk dances specific to the
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco or simply Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid lowland tropical dry broadleaf forest natural region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, northern Argentina, and a portion o ...
region) on
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
{{Authority control
Culture of Bolivia
Argentine styles of music
Culture of Chile
National symbols of Chile
Bolivian dances
Chilean dances
Argentine dances
Dance in Argentina
Indigenous dances of South America