Popular with tourists and unique among neighboring countries: there’s no doubt that Bolivia is home to a myriad of cultures and communities. From the centre of the Saya in Los Yungas to the bastion of a more Western lifestyle in Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s vibrancy cannot be contained. It would be disingenuous to say that all the different parts of this society always function harmoniously, but the fact that they remain in flux is undoubtedly one of the things that makes this country so special.

The June issue of Bolivian Express skims the surface of this multicultural sea of sorts, not in attempt to provide any- thing close to a full account of all the different Bolivian ethnic and religious groups (as if such an account could ever be complete), but rather to offer the reader a taste of some of their festivals, rituals and practices. Recent celebrations such as El Gran Poder are examined, as well as yearlong ceremonies such as the Ch’allas of El Alto and Potosí. While inevitably some observances will be left out, these pages reveal the hidden sides of those that are explored.

With histories that often stretch hundreds of years into the past, and current practices that retain their urgency for those who participate in them, these traditions are windows into distinctly Bolivian lives.