Von Katherin Tairo-Quispe, Empfängerin des Incomindios-Lippuner Stipendiums 2024
©Katherin Tairo: Quechua women spinning in Huilloc community, Urubamba province in Cusco region, 2014
Qallariynin: An introduction
I recall hearing the beautiful melody of the song Valicha in Cusco's main square, humming along as I enjoyed its harmonious wind instruments. But what do the lyrics say? What makes this huayno—one of the most popular musical genres in the Andes—so special? How might Valeriana, the Quechua woman who “inspired” this song, feel upon realizing that the words disguised as courtship actually question her conduct? These thoughts interrupt my enjoyment of the song.
In this condensed analysis, which builds on my prior published work—detailed at the end—I employ a sense of situated and engaged scholarship enriched by my own Indigenous Quechua heritage and community experience. Therefore, as a Quechua woman and researcher, I analyze the song Valicha, composed in 1945 by Miguel Angel Hurtado Delgado in Cusco, Peru (Calvo, 1995). The song centers on Valeriana Huillca Condori (Valicha), a Quechua woman, as the “muse” of the male composer. Valicha—a diminutive of her name in the Quechua language—is an icon in Cusco's musical repertoire, often considered the region's second anthem.
Over time, the lyrics of this huayno have been altered across various musical genres such as cumbia, salsa, and opera, incorporating sexist and misogynistic elements. These contemporary arrangements, while pretending to be acts of courtship, actually harass her, thus perpetuating patriarchal domination over her as an Indigenous woman.
I do not aim to focus on the composer or his sources of inspiration. Instead, I offer a critical perspective through an Indigenous antipatriarchal approach to the contemporary lyrics. This approach reveals how the song perpetuates gender inequality against Quechua girls and women, who have historically been subjected to patriarchal domination and hierarchical representation in the Peruvian Andes.
Distortion of Valeriana’s voice by the mainstream musical industry
Huayno music, primarily popular in the Peruvian Andes and deeply rooted in Indigenous settings, often faces challenges in mainstream acceptance due to historical racial discrimination. Many people hesitate to call it their favorite genre, even if it truly is. Despite this, the huayno Valicha remains iconic and a source of regional and national pride. While its harmonious wind instruments (Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, 2016) frequently dominate mainstream events, the song’s lyrical content is generally overlooked.
The immense popularity of this song has led the music industry to adapt it into genres such as cumbia, salsa, and opera. However, these commercial variations have not only altered the original lyrics but also incorporated misogynistic elements that question Valeriana’s agency—her ability to make decisions about her own life. Consequently, driven by commercial interests, contemporary adaptations of the huayno Valicha have distorted the original version by including sexist content that portrays her as a passive object of desire, thus perpetuating harmful patriarchal stereotypes. The following lyrics contain the commercialized version of this song. Please note that this translation-interpretation from Quechua to English is a careful approximation, intended to preserve the social and cultural context.
Quechua English
Valicha lisa p'asñari Valicha daring girl
niñachay de veras my real little girl
maypiraq tupanki where are you going to be
Qosqo uraykunapi surely she is already in the foothills of Cusco
niñachay de veras my real little girl
maqt'ata suwashan. stealing boys cholos/indios
Qosqoman chayaruspari Arriving to Cusco
niñachay de veras my real little girl
imatas ruwanqa what is she going to do?
Aqha wasikunapis surely in the chicherías
niñachay de veras my real little girl
sarata kutanqa. she will grind corn.
Chaykunallataraqchus It's not just that
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha ruwanman what Valicha would do
cuartel punkukunapis at the gates of the barracks
niñachay de veras my real little girl
sonqota suwanqa. she will steal hearts.
Chaykunallataraqchus It's not just that
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha ruwanman what Valicha would do
puesto punkukunapis at the gates of the police post
niñachay de veras, my real little girl
guardiawan sinsishan. flirting with cops.
Saracha parway parwaycha parwaycha Flower, little flower, little flower of the little corn
trigucha eray eraycha eraycha harvest, little harvest, little harvest of the little wheat.
Saracha parway parwaycha parwaycha Flower, little flower, little flower of the little corn
trigucha eray eraycha eraycha harvest, little harvest, little harvest of the little wheat.
Chaypa chawpichanpim qusqayki In the middle of that little flower. I will give you
warma sunquchayta qusqayki I will give you my tender little heart
chaypa chawpichanpim qusqayki In the middle of that little flower I will give you
warma sunquchayta qusqayki. I will give you my tender little heart.
The adapted version of the song reveals strong patriarchal suspicion, prohibition, and mistrust, particularly within masculinized settings such as police and military entities. Phrases as “stealing boys cholos/indios, for sure at the chicherías, at the gates of the barracks, at the gates of the police post or flirting with cops” serve to normalize violence and reinforce the notion of ownership historically exercised against Indigenous women.
The song depicts Indigenous women who have migrated away from their origins as non-docile, suggesting a distrust of their actions when they are beyond male control. This reflects deep-seated patriarchal filters. The lyrics highlight the prohibition of women’s attendance in certain social and public spaces not intended for them, particularly chicherías—place for gathering and selling chicha, a traditional corn-based alcoholic drink—military barracks, and police posts. The song implies that women’s presence in these male-dominated spaces is “morally” questionable and reprehensible. This reinforces patriarchal cultural norms and restrictions on women’s freedom of movement and association.
Her voice: Listening and singing with Valeriana
In a 2014 interview on a Peruvian national TV program—the same year Valeriana passed away—she was asked to sing what I consider the original version of the song: her version in the Quechua language. I want to emphasize that this version performed by Valeriana does not include qualifiers or content that cast doubt on her conduct. Curiously this version is limited, making it difficult to find except for this interview available online.
Valeriana’s version does not contain any sexist content. While the commercialized song denotes suspicion, prohibition, and mistrust; her version describes the activities of an Indigenous woman who leaves her community to perform weaving and spinning duties in nearby towns. Her lyrics also highlight the relationship among humans and non-humans to the land, including lagoons, flowers, corn, and wheat. Additionally, Valeriana’s lyrics illustrate Quechua thought regarding life and death, going beyond the material and spiritual settings.
In her version, Valeriana mentions the words baulchapipas, cajonchapipas, and kawsanki, which translate to “even be in a trunk, even be in a casket,” suggesting that despite the death of the material body, there is a continuity of life. This aligns with the Quechua concept of kawsay, which encompasses a holistic perspective of life that transcends the idea of simply vivir bien or “living well.” Below is the translation from Quechua to English, which approximates the meaning based on the context.
Quechua English
Valicha Acopiawan Valicha from Acopia
niñachay de veras my real little girl
maypiñas kashanman where would she be?
Valicha Acopiari And Valicha from Acopia
niñachay de veras my real little girl
maypiñas kashanman where would she be?
Iskay qocha chawpinpis It says that in the middle of two lagoons
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha kasharqan Valicha was already there
Iskay qocha chawpinpis It says that in the middle of two lagoons
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha kasharqan Valicha was already there
¿Chayrapiraqchus kashanman Would she still be there?
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha cholari? The chola Valicha?
¿Chayrapiraqchus kashanman Would she still be there?
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha cholari? The chola Valicha?
Aqoranapiñama She is already in Aqorana
niñachay de veras my real little girl
pushkata pushkashan spinning threads
¿Chaykunallapiraqchus Do you think that still in those places
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha kashanman? Would be Valicha?
¿Chaykunallapiraqchus Do you think that still in those places
niñachay de veras my real little girl
Valicha kashanman? Would be Valicha?
Qollqemarkapiñama She is already in Qollqemarca
niñachay de veras my real little girl
k’antita k’antishan is twisting threads
Qollqemarkapiñama She is already in Qollqemarca
niñachay de veras my real little girl
k’antita k’antishan is twisting threads
Saracha parway parwaychay parwaychay Flower, little flower, little flower of the little corn
Trigucha sisay sisaycha sisaycha Flower, little flower, little flower of the wheat
Baulchapipas kakushay Even be in a trunk
cajonchapipas kakushay even be in a casket
Munanki mana munanki whether you want or not
sibrinutawan kawsanki you are going to live sibrino
Baulchapipas kakushay Even be in a trunk
cajonchapipas kakushay even be in a casket
Munanki mana munanki whether you want or not
sibrinutawan kawsanki you are going to live sibrino.
Valeriana’s version challenges the misogynistic suspicion embedded in the commercialized version, which clearly condemns and distorts her representation as an Indigenous woman. Whether consciously or not, the adapted version carries a sense of nationalist and regionalist Andean pride that prevents its critical analysis. The adaptation not only facilitates the song’s commodification but also enhances its receptivity among diverse audiences by adapting it into different musical genres. However, these alterations, while expanding its reach, obscure the song’s problematic patriarchal elements.
Tukunapaq: Final reflections
This critical analysis highlights how patriarchal suspicion, prohibition, and mistrust of women’s conduct have been normalized. It is essential to move beyond merely listening to and enjoying the adapted song Valicha and instead look closely at how its contemporary modifications and commodification perpetuate and reinforce deeply ingrained patriarchal domination, which is falsely portrayed as courtship.
This work is a condensed version of the book chapter “Valicha betrayed: Singing patriarchy in the Peruvian Andes” In Feminist mosaics (2024, in press) by Universidad de Aguascalientes, Mexico. The chapter seeks to vindicate Valeriana, who is depicted as a figure of possession and the “muse” of the song that takes her own name, “Valicha.” It also highlights Indigenous antipatriarchal approaches to the complex expressions of gender violence perpetrated by both the contemporary music industry and the mainstream journalism. This violence is embedded in discourses of national and regional pride, clearly affecting Quechua women in the Peruvian Andes.
Finally, while this work is not rooted in musicology, it serves as an invitation to engage in multidisciplinary discussions on the intersection of gender, race, and power structures. This will enable us to advocate for the human rights of Indigenous girls and women, allowing us to collectively defy the echoes of patriarchy across the globe.
References
Calvo, Rossano. 1995. Qosqo sociedad e ideología, siglo XX: estudios de antropología del Qosqo. Qosqo, Perú: Municipalidad del Qosqo.
Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo. 2016. Repertorio Musical. Agosto 14. Accessed Junio 13, 2024. https://centroqosqodeartenativo.com/es/repertorio-musical/.
Huillca Condori, Valeriana, interview by Isaac Sarmiento. 2014. “Entrevista a Valicha en provincia de Acomayo.” Valeriana Huillca Condori La Famosa “Valicha” available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX9JkDs9ka4&t=25s. (August 15).
Tairo-Quispe, Katherin Patricia. 2024 in press. “Valicha betrayed: Singing patriarchy in the Peruvian Andes” In Feminist mosaics. Universidad de Aguascalientes, Mexico.