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Many Bolivian festivals are a form of religious celebration, expressing a syncretism of paganism and Catholicism. Folkloric dances and music each have their unique costumes, musical instruments and rhythms, and these celebrations may last for days on end, often from early morning to late at night.

The Caporales is a Bolivian dance that stems from Afro-Andean dances in the Yungas region, such as the Tundiki and Saya. The dance represents the foremen who were in charge of the slaves in colonial times. In the Dance of the Caporales male dancers wear fancy-looking outfits with heeled boots that hold cascabeles, large bells that signify the sound of the chains tied to the ankles of the slaves. In their left hand they (should) hold a hat and in their right hand a whip.

Contrary to most traditional dances in Bolivia, the Dance of the Caporales is a relatively new one: it first made its appearance in La Paz in 1969,