Chililin – Children’s version of a dance from Bolivia

A search for the meaning of the word “Chililin” in its native Quechua language has so far yielded nothing, and AI-generated translations aren’t helpful. My theory is Chililin is the Quechuan equivalent of tra-la-la or scooby-do.

“CHILILIN IS A MUSIC ORIGINAL FROM CAIZA “D” THAT IS PLAYED DURING THE SOWING DAYS, ITS COMPOSITION DATES BACK MORE OR LESS 80 TO 100 YEARS, THEREFORE THE AUTHOR IS NOT KNOWN…” So says a caption to one version of this popular Bolivian song. The song is popular throughout Bolivia, and is used to accompany many dance performances.

For more background on the song Chililin, translations of the Quechua-language lyrics into Spanish and English, and adult performances of the spring sowing ritual dance click here.

C’alcheños is a harvest dance. Chililin, a planting song, appears to use much the same footwork and formations, but differs in intent and implements. C’alcheños dancers carry baskets of harvested plants and thank the deities for their generosity, while Chililin dancers carry tools for plowing and tilling, and carry bags of seeds, helping the deities to produce their bounty. The basic step is the same for both dances R forward, L in place, R back, L in place in four even beats. I speculate that the popularity of (Chililin a relatively recent song) stimulated the extension of the traditional C’alcheños harvest ceremony to cover spring planting as well as fall harvest, in order to meet the demand for more “entertainment” in local auditoriums.

Other uses for the Chililin melody

QUECHUA
Paña makicha chililin chililin x2 Right hand x2
Lluqi makicha chililin chililin x2 Left hand x2
Paña chakicha chililin chililin x2 Right foot x2
Lluqi chakicha chililin chililin x2 Left foot x2
SPANISH
Manito derecha chililin chililin x2 Right hand x2
Manito izquierda chililin chililin x2 Left hand x2
Piecito derecho chililin chililin x2 Right foot x2
Piecito izquierdo chililin chililin x2 Left foot x2
AYMARA
Kupi amparalla chililin chililin x2 Right arm x2
Ch’iqa amparalla chililin chililin x2 Left arm x2
Kupi kayulla chililin chililin x2 Right foot x2
Ch’iqa kayulla chililin chililin x2 Left foot x2