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Period: 850 BCE to 550
Origins
The Chicha is a fermented beverage that is consumed as an integral part of daily food intake of many communities across Latin America, as well as when celebrating special ceremonies. This drink is believed to have started "as a tribute for the dead along several important pre-Inca Andean cultures or larger civilizations, especially during the period of the Chavin, Marcavalle, Churajon, and Tiwanaku cultures." (Vargas-Yana et al.) -
550
Geographical Origins
The Chavin Culture (850-200 B.C.), the Marcavalle Culture (1000 B.C.), the Churajon Culture (1200-800 B.C.), and the Tiwanaku culture (550 A.D.) communities' territories.- (Vargas-Yana et al.)
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700
Chicha Spread and Alterations
Although it is believed the Chicha originated in the West Coast of South America. Nowdays, almost every Latin American country has its own chicha variation.
Some of which nclude:
- The Maize/Corn Chicha (Colombia, Panama, Peru)
- The Rice-based Chicha (Venezuela, Brazil)
- The Pasta-based Chicha (Venezuela)
- The Fruit-based Chicha (Panama, Chile, Argentina
- The cassava-based Chicha (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil)- (Grossman, 2023)
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800
Traditional Drinking vessels
Studies have revealed that Cerro Baúl, Peru, used to be a space for Chicha rituals. This location contained brewery spaces reserved for Chicha-making, in which the higher quality Chicha was reserved for the nobility, as well as special drinking vessels known as "Keros."- (Moseley et al., 2005)
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1400
Chicha cantada (sung/singing chicha)
Among the different uses that the Chicha beverage has had through times and communities, the Embera indigenous community from Colombia, have a tradition called "chicha cantada". This shamanistic/jaibanistic ritual consists of singing a "healing of the earth" song when planting corn/maize, and a "song of the jai" when attempting to cure an illness.- (Religion and Expressive Culture - Emberá)
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First Prohibition of Chicha
During Pérez Manrique's ruling period in Santafé, all inhabitants of the city were prohibited from making, selling, and consuming chicha, under the penalty of a fine of 200 pesos, payable in money or lashes/whippings. This legislation applied to everyone in the area, including Black, Indigenous, mestizo and Spaniard inhabitants.- (Echeverri, 2006)
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Further attempt to restrict Chicha Consumption
During this year, Colombia and its neighbouring territories were still under Spaniard control, and there were many attempts to stop Chicha Consumption, that grew in popularity by the second. For instance, the Archbishop of Santafé, Ignacio de Urbina, issued an edict that excommunicated those who bought, sold, or manufactured chicha and aguardiente.- (Echeverri, 2006)
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Period: to
Normalization of the Chicha Consumption
During this XVIII century, the consumption of Chicha got normalized throughout Colombia, and we can see an example of its regular consumption in the then capital, Santafé [of Bogotá] (Nowadays Bogotá). Where prominent families were known to consume "Chicha dulce", a home-made chicha for family reunions with low levels of alcohol. While the "Chicha Madura" was heavily fermented and drank by the every-day citizen during mostly for festivals.- (Echeverri, 2006)
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Rice-based Chicha by the Umutina from Brazil
The Umutina Amerindians live between Paraguay and Bugres rivers, in the city of Barra do Bugres, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. They have adapted their chicha to be a fermented drink made out of rice, instead of corn, because of its convenient accessibility.- (Puerari et al., 2015)
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Second Chicha Prohibition
During this year, Simon Bolivar, was marching through the Colombian town Sogamoso, after having won the "Battle of Boyacá" against the Spanish kingdom. As they stayed in Sogamoso, it is said that in under four days, more than 50 soldiers died and 100 more were hospitalized as a result of Chicha intoxication. Due to this event, the public selling of Chicha is outlawed in Sogamoso.- (“Bolívar prohíbe la chicha y las chicherías en Sogamoso en 1820”, 2018)
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Introduction of Beer
Beer was introduced to Colombia by the german, Leo Siegfried Kopp, who created the “Bavaria” brewery company in the significant town of Bogotá, La Perseverancia (The Perseverance.) Eventually, beer grew to become a competitive alternative for Chicha, and outgrew Chicha's popularity across the country.- (Martínez, 2020)
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Period: to
Anti-Chicha propaganda
These are some examples of anti-chicha propaganda in Bogotá, Colombia.
- "La chicha engendra el crimen, no tome bebidas fermentadas" (The chicha engenders crime, do not consume fermented drinks)
- "Las carceles se llenan de gentes que toman chicha" (The prisons fill with people who drink chicha)
- "La chicha embrutece, no tome bebidas fermentadas" (The chicha stupefies, do not consume fermented drinks.)- (“Bogotá’s Backdoor Chicha Museum - BristoLatino”, 2017)
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"Ni Chicha Ni Limonada" expression
During this year, the term: "Ni Chicha ni Limonada" literally translated to "Neither Chicha nor lemonade" was added to the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary. This term refers to "not being someone or something", this expression could be the English equivalent to "neither this nor that", or "Neither Fish nor fowl."- (ASALE and RAE)
- "El porqué de los dichos" by José María Iribarren & "Del hecho al dicho" by Gregorio Doval
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Bogotazo (Third Chicha Prohibition)
April 9th of 1948, the presidential candidate, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, was assassinated as he was stepping out of his job in downtown Bogotá. This was followed by chaos, rebellion and death, which in part was blamed on Chicha's consumption. Thus, Law #34 (1948) was passed, in which the standards for creating alcoholic beverages were raised, and made it harder for Chicherias to sell their product.- (Martínez, 2020)
- (Lievano, 2014)
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The Musical Genre "Chicha"
In Peru, as a result of social unrest, in combination with external cultural influence, a new musical genre called "Chicha" came about. This genre has developed and transformed through the years, but some of its most significant pieces include:
- "Soy provinciano" ("I am from the provinces") from Chacalón y la Nueva Cream (1978)
- "Mi Tallercito" ("My little workshop") from Los Shapis (1982)- (Mendívil and Espinosa, 2015)
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"Ni chicha ni limonà"-Song
The Chilean author, Victor Jara, released this song "Ni chicha ni limonà." which talks about someone who is not worth the trouble.This song is believed to have parallels to songs such as:
* Noch dit, noch dat written by Cornelis Vreeswijk (Dutch): 1978
* Neither Beer nor Booze written by Ewert Ljusberg (English): 2008
* Varken det ena eller andra written by Cornelis Vreeswijk (Swedish): 1978- (Song: Ni Chicha Ni Limonà Written by Víctor Jara | SecondHandSongs)
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Creation of the "Festival de la Chicha, la Vida y la Dicha."
This event started in October 9th of 1988, when a group of young adults founded the festival. "This festival is organized in an area called "La Perseverancia" inside Colombia's capital, Bogotá. It is also important to note that this town's name translates to “The perseverance”, and is historically known to have many residents that worked in the German Beer company "Bavaria."- (Noticias de Festival de la chicha en Bogotá| Bogota.gov.co)
- (La chicha)| Bogota.gov.co.
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Museum "La Bendita Chicheria"
In one of Bogotá's neighborhoods, known as "Chorro de Quevedo", that is known for selling Chicha, in addition to the neighborhood "La Preserverancia", a man called Alfredo Ortiz Huertas, created the first Chicha Museum in the area. This museum is characterized by providing a space for mostly local students and tourists to learn about the history of the Chicha, and buy indigenous-rooted drinks such as: Chicha, Guarapo, Zhuke, and Chirrinchi.- (“Museo de la Chicha”, 2023)