Chagra is a symbol of miscegenation

The chagra is a character characterized as a symbol of the miscegenation that exists in the Andean valleys and moors of Ecuador, as in the case of Mejía, an Ecuadorian canton located southeast of Pichincha.

Like the gaucho (Argentina), the huaso (Chile), the cowboy (USA) and the charro (Mexico), the chagra, with its customs, in Ecuador generates a culture that is rooted in its equestrian skills and for knowing the secrets of the paramo, as well as the deep and ancient roots of its land, since its history goes back to the colonial era.

To better appreciate the value of this legacy, it is necessary to establish that in colonial times, the word "chagra" was a derogatory synonym that alluded to an ignorant, rustic man, full of defects or in turn to situations of bad taste (chagra dress, chagra color, etc.), especially due to the racial conflicts that, with the process of miscegenation, arose in the large estates of the time.

Several allusions are also remembered, especially used in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where the term "chagra" is used to designate provincial foreigners, who come to the city in search of new opportunities, a qualification that continues to this day.

It should be noted that the word chagra comes from "chacra" which means land of reduced size for corn cultivation. So we could well say that the semantic evolution of this nickname went from grievance to praise. To finally define himself as the peasant of the Ecuadorian highlands. The chagra is characterized by the handling of the horse, its unconditional adventure companion, since together they dominate the heights, the fierce climate, and the management of wild cattle in the cold Andean moors.

His traditional clothing consists of a striped wool poncho, a sheepskin coat, a scarf, a felt hat, and of course, his horse. This mestizo adorns the trails, to the tune of traditional melodies such as the tonada, the capishca, the sanjuanito, the hallway or the parade, and why not, a beautiful yaraví, all according to his mood.

Undoubtedly, the families of the cChagrasantón Mejía have ancestors linked to the fields and the farm; For this reason, every July, they participate in the traditional “Paseo del Chagra”, which reached its peak in the 1980s and mid-1990s,

forgetting other traditional aspects that served as references for this festival such as the cantonization of Mejía and devotion to her Patron Santiago.

The Paseo del Chagra is not just a party, it is a whole culture. Mejía in its geography preserves this extremely important cultural icon that exclusively characterizes certain areas of the Ecuadorian Andes.

-Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador (July 15, 2014) -