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This paper proposes some ideas regarding the history of the Quyllurit'i pilgrimage by paying close attention to the particularities of the wayri ch'unchu ritual dance. After reviewing the available historic evidence about it, the text proposes that the location of the shrine at the bottom of the Qulqipunku glacier (Ocongate, Cusco) is explained by its liminal position between the Andean highlands and the Amazon. The location of the Qulqipunku, and its difference with the Ausangate, is very evident for the communities living in the surroundings of Qulqipunku. The text proposes that these communities were the main protagonists of the pilgrimage at least until the end of the 19th century. The paper explains why the wayri ch'unchu dancers of these communities -highlanders who represent indigenous peoples of the Amazon- were so important and numerous in the past. Finally, the text shows how the continuous grow of the pilgrimage along the 20th century has meant a progressive marginalization of these communities within the pilgrimage as well as a clear decrease in the preponderance of wayri ch'unchu dancers. The decrease is directly related to attempts to subvert ideologies of social differentiation present in the region that are framed in a broader and ongoing process of de-indianization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the principal purposes of Q'eros music is to actively regenerate and re-create good relationships with the cosmos and the spirit world they believe in. In this paper, I explore how both the Q'eros' indigenous songs as well as their newly-adopted music and dance for Peru's largest pilgrimage, Qoyllurit'i, achieve efficacy of purpose through similar techniques of sound production and aesthetics. Even though the specific musical traits (structure, scale, and instrumentation) of both musical styles are significantly different, I address how Q'eros' musical production of both types share the same focus and serve the same end-goals, whether the ritual is an intimate one within the community or shared with thousands of other people from the greater region. In addition, the performance of both styles of music serve as specific identity markers for the Q'eros depending on their contextual use and the identity desired at the time. In other words, the Q'eros' musical choices allow them to shift identities between traditional Q'eros in their home community and misti (mestizo) in Qoyllurit'i. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]