Throughout the 19th century, this dance spread successfully across various
Hispanic American countries simply under the name
chilena. In Mexico In 1822, through sailors of the Chilean squadron sent by General
Bernardo O’Higgins to support the insurgents in the
Mexican War of Independence, and later between 1848 and 1855 with Chilean immigrants and adventurers during the
California Gold Rush, cueca arrived at the ports of
Acapulco (Guerrero),
Huatulco, and
Puerto Ángel (Oaxaca). There it blended with the mestizo traditions of the southern coastal region (
región suriana) and in Mexico gave rise to a new musical genre known as
chilena. This musical genre emerged specifically in what is now the state of Guerrero and very quickly spread throughout the area known as the
Costa Chica, which includes the states of
Guerrero and
Oaxaca. In other states of the
Mexican Republic and in the
United States,
chilena came to be adopted as an additional musical genre due to the mass migrations of people from coastal regions during the 1980s and 1990s.
In Peru ,
Lima, PeruToward the end of the
War against the Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839), along with Chilean troops of the
United Restoration Army, the “Chilean zamacueca” arrived in Peru. There it became the most popular form during the 1860s and 1870s and came to be known as
chilena. by the Peruvian writer and musician
Abelardo Gamarra, known as
El Tunante. “
La Antofagasta”, a Bolivian port occupied by Chile at the time—written by
El Tunante with music by Nicanor Núñez del Prado; and on the 15th, Some sources state that marinera “comes from the Aragonese jota, the
zamacueca, and the chilena; it breaks away from its former name (
chilena) as a consequence of
the war with Chile and adopts a nationalist connotation, becoming a version of
Peruvian music with its own distinct identity”.
In Argentina Cueca entered Argentina from Chile through the
Cuyo region—first as
zamacueca and later as
cueca chilena (Chilean cueca)—where it retained the name
cueca. In March 1879, the dance called “chilena” was renamed “
marinera” Since 2017, the Cuecoteca has been frequently organized at the Municipal House of Culture in
Sucre, and since 2018 in La Paz’s Plaza 25 de Mayo, for learning and practice with live music. On November 30, 2015, the Bolivian government declared Bolivian cueca to be the country’s “cultural and intangible heritage” through Law 764, stating that “cueca is the principal rhythm that has succeeded in articulating the spirit of a homeland and a nation”. Likewise, the first Sunday of October was declared “Bolivian Cueca Day.” This initiative was promoted by national artists, folkloric dance academies, and the general public.Among the subgenres of this variant are: •
Chapaca cueca (
cueca chapaca) is coquettish, more or less fast, with
zapateo (footwork), and is characterized by elegance and gallantry. •
Chaqueña cueca is bouncy and fast; the clothing is from the Chaco region and it is danced with a more upright posture, especially by women. •
Chuquisaqueña cueca has a “waltz-like” character; the arrangement in rows of ladies and gentlemen, the strict timing, the proud gaze, formal attire and high heels, the pleated skirt below the knees, the embroidered blouse adorned with ruffles, the silk mantilla, and the white handkerchief are some of the details that make up the oldest and best-preserved expression to this day of the colonial ballroom dances of the old city of La Plata, today the city of Sucre. •
Cochabambina cueca has more popular and simple yet cheerful characteristics; it is danced at social, patronal, and
chichería events. •
Oruro and La Paz cuecas are similar in structure: both have melancholic minor modes and are danced at various social events, festivities, and occasions such as
prestes and others. •
Potosina cueca combines sad and joyful parts and is danced very elegantly, although with attire different from the Chuquisaqueña; for example, the pleated skirt is longer and high heels are not used. Depending on the type of cueca performed, the costume varies: women wear the dress of the Bolivian
chola from Oruro, La Paz, or Potosí, while Chuquisaqueña and Cochabambina women wear a relatively long pleated skirt and ankle boots. In the south, the Chapaca woman wears a shorter skirt, while the Chaqueña uses a long, flowered skirt. Men wear trousers, a shirt, a vest, and a hat. Cueca in Tupiza (Sud Chichas) is also cheerful and bouncy; women wear a short skirt and a wide-brimmed white hat, while men wear trousers, a shirt, a red poncho, and a wide-brimmed white hat. Among the ten most popular and renowned Bolivian cuecas are: • “
Así es Tarija” (
Huáscar Aparicio) • “
Cómo extraño a mi tierra” (Ernesto Mealla) • “
El regreso” (
Matilde Casazola) • “
Huérfana Virginia” (Simeón Roncal) • “
La bolivianita” (
Huáscar Aparicio) • “
La de Moto Méndez” (Chapaca cueca,
Nilo Soruco; sung by
Tamara Castro) • “
La tarijeñita” (
Rigoberto Rojas Suárez; sung by
Los Fronterizos) • “
Morir cantando” (Chapaca cueca, Hugo Monzón) • “
Rojo, amarillo y verde” (Chaqueña cueca, Juan Enrique Jurado) • “
Viva mi patria Bolivia” (originally “A Bolivia,” by Apolinar Camacho and Ricardo Cabrera; recognized as the second national anthem). ==See also==