Arena Season 1, Episode 431

An Argentinian Journey: 3: Pacha Mama - Sacred Land · BBC Four · Sunday, April 19

The Calchaquies valleys in the Andes and the Humahuaca canyon form the most underdeveloped and remote region in Argentina, with traditions going back beyond the Inca conquest. The far north with its small mountain villages like Molinos and Cachi is more closely linked to Bolivia and Peru than to the rest of the country. The people of the mountains say their music can be described simply as the "man with the drum". Every year they celebrate a carnival devoted to the honour of Pacha Mama , the Goddess of the Earth. Legend has it that the mountain people were once told "You are the lord of the land", to which they replied "No, sir, we are the sons and daughters of the land".