The Chelaalapí Qom Choir was the first indigenous choir established in Latin America, formed in 1962 in the Toba neighborhood in the outskirts of the city of

Resistencia, Chaco Resistencia () is the capital and largest city of the province of Chaco in north-eastern Argentina. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city proper was 291,720 inhabitants. It is the anchor of a larger metropolitan area, Greater R ...

. The choir's name means "flock of thrushes". It was declared a symbol of Chaco's cultural heritage by decree No. 1.491/2022 of the Provincial government. In 2006,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

recognized the choir as part of the "living cultural heritage" of Chaco Province.

History

The first rehearsals of the group were directed by Inés García de Márquez. They were initially an

a capella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

group, eventually adding percussive instruments made of

mate Mate may refer to: Science * Mate, one of a pair of animals involved in: ** Mate choice, intersexual selection ** Mating * Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein, or MATE, an efflux transporter family of proteins Person or title * Friendship ...

, '' n'vike'' (tin violin), rainsticks, and bass drums. Later, ''

chajchas ''Chajchas'' (also ''chapchas''; Spanish: ''uñas'', "toenails") are a small percussion instrument of the rattle family, typically made from goat or sheep hooves, and originating in the Central Andes. The instrument is used in traditional rituals ...

'' were incorporated. During their 60 years of existence, the Chalaalapí Qom Choir has performed on many provincial, national and international stages, often sharing their knowledge through workshops and activities. The choir has experimented with different styles of music, including performing in fusion concerts with Latin American and international artists. The choir has been recognized as an important part of the cultural heritage of the

Qom people The Toba people, also known as the Qom people, are one of the largest indigenous groups in Argentina who historically inhabited the region known today as the Pampas of the Central Chaco. During the 16th century, the Qom inhabited a large part of ...

and the Province of Chaco by several organizations, including UNESCO, the

Chamber of Deputies of Chaco The Chamber of Deputies of Chaco Province ( es, Cámara de Diputados de la Provincia del Chaco), also widely known as the Legislative Power (''Poder Legislativo''), is the unicameral legislative body of Chaco Province, in Argentina. It convenes in ...

, and the

Argentine Senate The Honorable Senate of the Argentine Nation ( es, Honorable Senado de la Nación Argentina) is the upper house of the National Congress of Argentina. Overview The National Senate was established by the Argentine Confederation on July 29, 185 ...

Discography

* ''Coro Chelaalapí Meets Lagartijeando'' (2019, Big In Japan) * ''Remixes & Raíces'' (2018, Instituto de Cultura Chaco) * ''Remixes Coro Chelaalapí'' (2017, ICC / Club del Disco)

Live Shows

In 2018, the choir, along with producer and DJ Matías Zundel, toured cities in Latin America and Europe, including Asunción, Madrid, and Berlin. In 2019, the group started and ended the year with the Chelaalapí Fest, first in Resistencia then in Buenos Aires. The choir also had a show at the Ancestral and Contemporary Festival, at the Rosario Flag Festival, and at Cordoba's Belle Epoque Club. In 2020, the choir was invited to participate at the Tribal Gathering event which took place in Panamá. The event was a gathering of over 60 tribes from around the globe to exchange experiences, engage in discussions, and perform musical shows. The choir president stated, "the members of the choir consider themselves to be cultural ambassadors whose artistic expressions make their ancestral legacy public in every show in Argentina and the world. They are a constituent element of the rich, diverse and intercultural identity of Chaco."

Members

Former Members

*Gregorio Segundo (Shetoqshe) *Rito Largo (Vaisogoshe) *Amancio Sánchez *Félix Núñez *Oscar Oliva *Mario Morales (Itaic) *Zunilda Méndez (Igliaque) *Florencio Lezcano (Chiglioyi)

Members as of 2021

*Rosalía Patricio *Enriqueta Escobilla *Santa Oliva *Rosa Largo *Griselda Morales *Zulma Núñez *Claudio Largo *Elvio Mansilla *Omar Toledo *Diego Castro *Horacio Patricio *Pablo Mansilla *Román Gómez

Deceased members

* Erinda Martínez * Zunilda Méndez * Juan Rescio * Gregorio Segundo * Juana Núñez * Ignacio Mancilla

References

Choirs Indigenous music of South America Chaco Province Argentine musical groups {{Improve categories, date=November 2022