Curré – an indigenous village on the banks of the Terraba River

Curre Village - Photo by Dagmar Reinhard

Curre Village – Photo by Dagmar Reinhard

Cuasran (the legendary chieftain) watches over the blood that runs through the woods and feels the breath that passes through the trees.

Cuasran protects his children from evil and from the arrogance of those who want to silence them, those who want more. He fights for his children that promise life, who want peace and light, and want to one day die where they were born with bright eyes, fresh skin and free of marks.

Curre Concha - Photo by Dagmar Reinhard

Curre Shell – Photo by Dagmar Reinhard

#curre #cuasdran #osa #boruca #costaballenalovers #diablitosThe indigenous town of Curré in the Brunca Region (28 km from Palmar Sur and 32 km from Buenos Aires) was founded years ago along the Terraba River. Curré´s people are of the same ethnicity as the Boruca. We visited Edixion Mora Lazaro of the Cújsrót Borucan Artshop where they make traditional Borucan artwork.

Curre Scary Mask - Photo by Dagmar Reinhard

Curre Scary Mask – Photo by Dagmar Reinhard

Edixon, while sharing anecdotes, proudly showed us his masks. Some of them were “danced and sweated” over the past Festival of Los Diabilitos. At the beginning of February, the Curré present their traditional dances: the devils against the bull, which represents the intruder.

“You have to drink plenty of “chicha” (fermented corn booze) to cope with the bruises and falls suffered by the warriors during the 4 day festival,” says Edixon. Edixon´s masks are mostly made of balsa wood and two of his nieces paint them with great delicacy. On the way to the village, we go past the first high school in Curré, called Yimbo Cdcj  (grandmother Yimbo). We were short of time so we couldn´t meet Mrs. Fidelia, who is a great cook. We will return, not just for the festival!

In the past, the Boruca were made up of a group of chiefdoms that ruled most of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, from Quepos to what is now the Panamanian border, including the Osa Peninsula. The Boruca traditionally spoke the Boruca language, which is now nearly extinct, but at school taught to the kids. Today they are trying to recover part of their identity.Tourism is key to this task, since the resources left by visitors can be reinvested and at the same time their culture is getting better known. This in turn encourages the young people to learn, respect and care.

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