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The Jesuit Missions - Their Culture The astonishingly fecund culture of the Jesuit missions of the Chiquitania (or the Chiquitos missions, as they are sometimes called) is perhaps best expressed through its art (painting and sculpture, but even more so its music) and churches, and best understood in the context of its history. It is easy to overlook its incredible achievements, undertaken in less than a century and wrought together by the Jesuit missionaries and the indigenous peoples of the Chiquitania, unless one considers both its historical backdrop and results. One can look at the "Jesuit mission culture" (for lack of a better phrase) sui generis, but to do so ignores much of its monumental achievements. To really appreciate what happened in this corner of the world three centuries ago, and understand the legacy that still thrives today, you need to read Spanish, as the best works on the subject are written in it. Knowing German doesn't hurt, either, as a wealth of information also exists in this language. If you're limited to English, it's hard to get beyond the bare essentials, most of which focus on architecture and music, thus short-changing the documentation of many other artistic achievements of this fascinating culture. If you do read Spanish, and happen to have about US$250 in spare change lying about, treat yourself to the massive Las Misiones Jesuíticas de Chiquitos, the definitive work on the subject (although it does contain some errors), edited and compiled by Pedro Querejazu. It is hard to find, but well worth the hunt. It was published in 1995 by the Fundación BHN's Línea Editorial and distributed exclusively in Bolivia, but the U.S. foreign book store Schoenhof's usually can obtain a copy. Otherwise, in English, you'll have to make do with either of two thin texts: Misiones Jesuíticas, by Jaime Cisneros; or Chiquitos: A Look at its History, by the late Alcides Parejas Moreno (Bolivia's foremost historian of the Chiquitania). If it's the former, make sure it's the second edition, published in 1998 (the 1996 edition has Spanish text only). The English translation (side-by-side with the original Spanish) is appalling, but the photographs are excellent and the text is at least written in layman's terms. If it's the latter work, do not be deterred by the Spanish title (Chiquitos: un paseo por su historia) on the order page: ask for the English-language version. A brilliant treatment of the topic of Jesuit mission art in general (although not that of the Chiquitos missions themselves) is Dr. Gauvin A. Bailey's Art on the Jesuit Missions in Asia and Latin America, 1542-1773, published by the University of Toronto Press (paperback ed., 2001). Bailey's equally impressive Art of Colonial Latin America (paperback, ed., 2005), does treat the Jesuit-Chiquitano culture to some degree and is excellent reading. The key to understanding the cultural impact and expression of the Jesuit missions is that the culture was a synthesis of two earlier, radically different artistic styles. This intriguing mix is sometimes referred to as “Mestizo-Baroque”, reflecting an output wrought by native artisans who had their own pre-conceived (i.e., pre-Christian, pre-Hispanic) artistic notions, but which were informed by Baroque-era European input and temperament. The indigenous population saw no contradiction in two religions - or artistic expressions thereof - existing harmoniously and even informing each other. This cross-pollination found its most obvious form in visual output such as carvings, paintings, and even architecture, although non-visual media, especially music and religious customs, also were affected.
In these missions, in the Chiquitania as a whole, and to one degree or another in almost all of colonial Latin America, European tastes merged with local, indigenous traditions. But in the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos alone, this combination gave birth to a unique culture and and equally unique artistic expression that has survived in essentially unchanged form to this day. This can be seen especially in the sacred art that adorns the area's templos, as well as the region's hybrid music, dance, and architecture. The music especially is now experiencing a true renaissance under the outstanding leadership of the Santa Cruz-based Asociación Pro Arte y Cultura, which puts on highly regarded period music festivals - the internationally acclaimed Festivales Internacionales de Música Renacentista y Barroca Americana "Misiones de Chiquitos" - in the missions towns every other year, and has been doing so since 1996. Books, CDs, and videos of these extravaganzas are commercially available in Santa Cruz and also online. In fact, nowadays music from the Chiquitos area is far better known worldwide than is its sculpture or painting. For more information on the schedule of continuous musical programmes that APAC offers in the mission towns, download this year's concerts brochure here. The Jesuits both brought new means of cultural expression to the Chiquitos missions and adapted to the culture of their host communities. They also brought a unique attitude and approach. Although not entirely free of the superior attitude of most Europeans of their time, the Jesuits made great efforts to adapt to Chiquitano culture and rarely denigrated it. The result was a strikingly positive one. Along with their native counterparts, they helped create fascinating microcosms: mission societies that were at once European and non-European, knit together with a unifying spiritual theme, especially in artistic and musical expression. It is true that the Chiquitano world view and means of cultural expression was profoundly altered by the influence of the Jesuits, but it never disappeared (as others did): it conformed and adapted, and reached its apogee in this era. The Jesuit missionaries trained their naturally proficient "charges" to become phenomenal craftsmen in several fields, but especially so in precious metals and wooden carvings, taking advantage of the inhabitants' amazing ability to adapt and incorporate foreign motifs into artistic output. Even classically European musical instruments - the cello, harp, violin - were created anew in the depths of the Bolivian forests and plains by these people, without any innate knowledge of what they were making. This led to each mission having not just a world-class church, but also an orchestra(!), several artisans' shops, and often schools of music and painting. Imagine this in a town of about a thousand inhabitants, hundreds of miles from the nearest settlement of any size, and you begin to get a vague idea of what the Jesuits and indigenous peoples managed to create. On the musical side, the heritage of the mission culture is most evident. Until very recently, for instance, many of the towns retained the charming custom of appointing soflas, or hereditary musicians (often violinists) to teach the mission-era music to succeeding generations. There are rumoured to be two or three still practicising their age-old craft. And in Urubichá, a town in ultra-traditional Guarayos Province, there are still a few luthiers, who continue to craft violins and other instruments exactly as their ancestors did three centuries ago. And there is the internationally renowned Gran Orquesta de las Misiones de Chiquitos, where young aspiring vocalists and instrumentalists carry on what their ancestors started so many years ago. That this continues in one of the western hemisphere's most remote regions is nothing short of amazing.
If you're starting your trip from Santa Cruz, you can get an idea of what the culture of the Chiquitania is like by visiting the following places whilst still in that city. The first three are museums and the rest are affiliated with the municipal government or local non-profit organisations. But first.... Forget what people will tell you about the Centro de Interpretación Turística y Cultural (Tourist and Cultural Interpretation Centre) on the north side of the main plaza. While interesting - and air conditioned - it does not really treat the Chiquitania, but rather the traditions of the city of Santa Cruz. On the other hand, it's free, and there are generally a bevy of cute, earnest young guides of both sexes who will steer you through its exhibits. Tel. 3.3347266, supposedly open from 0900 to 2200 every day, but call ahead, as its hours are rarely that.
One other store, albeit not a non-profit, deserves mention because of its fair prices, excellent selections, and outstanding customer service. (Trust me, you won't find those three descriptors employed anywhere else relative to Bolivian small enterprises.) Vicuñita Handicrafts, 3.3340591, on the corner of calles Independencia and Ingavi, is a collection of five separate family-owned artesanías (and one travel agency, Vicuñita Tours, 3.3372460, also highly recommended). The only artesanía in the entire city that is open during siesta and seven days a week, one or more of these stores always has something interesting (and affordable) from the Chiquitania (although most of its wares hail from, ironically, the altiplano). The Cornejo family - amongst the nicest people you'll ever meet anywhere - will see to it that you find exactly what you're after. It doesn't hurt that the owners' two gorgeous daughters, Zulema and Carola (um...both are married), also work there. Your patronage of these places goes straight to the people, and will help in maintaining the livelihoods of the artisans, as well as their families and communities.
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