The Tapati Festival is hard to describe. It lasts 2 weeks in february and was first celebrated when the people of the island were recognised as full citizens of Chile in the 1960s. Most islanders take it very seriously, most of them take part in one of the competitions or supporting the competitors with their knowledge, making the 500 or so costumes out of bark cloth, shells and feathers, teaching the old songs or the harmonious choreography of the group dances.
It is so colourful and impressive, so spectacular and engaging. It revolves around a series of music, dance, cultural and sport contests between two clans. It evokes of the Tangata Manu cult which brings two women into the competition to become queen.
The two main clans put up two candidates who stand for the title of Queen of the festival. They are supported by their clans, families and friends, who through their participation in the demanding artistic, athletic and cultural competitions earn points which are added to the points she has earned herself. After each event the winning individuals or groups are allocated points and at the end of the festival the candidate whose group has gained the most points is crowned the Queen. The Queen contestants don't just have to look pretty but have to show their abilities of old handicrafts, knowledge of history and old songs, take part in some of the sport events, dancing traditional dance alone or with a group.
The events we have seen so far have arts and crafts competitions like moai carving, bark cloth making, shell necklace making, wood carving of replicas of historic finds and swimming and rowing in the Pacific ocean with waves 2 m high. This we watched from a shady cafe where we also can watch the turtles swimming around the children on the tiny beach. The chuldren use the 'armada de chile' military boat as a spring board to jump into the harbour. When the capitano tells them to get off his boat, they tell him to go away and so he does.
In the evening after sunset there are singing contests of ancient songs, dancing competitions with lots of swinging hips and firm buttocks on display, fashion shows using easter island's natural ingredients only, group dancing and singing with about 200 people per group (children/teenagers/ adults). One competition is Kai-Kai, where the contestants recite old legends while they create a figure by using a string that is intertwined in their hands.
This all happens on a stage near the shore outside Hanga Roa village as the moon rises. What a location! And it always lasts until at least 2 o'clock in the morning.
We missed the horse racing- bare back riding with a speed you can't believe BUT:it is so hot, there is no shade, I'm allergic to horses and there will be at least a hundred horses and a lot of dust in the air.
But we watched the the heart-pumping Taua Rapa Nui which is held in and around the magical Rano Rarakau crater with some Moais up on its flanks to watch over. The first stage is to paddle across the lake on a reed boat. Then the contestants run around the lake carrying banana bunches on their shoulders. After that they run high up past the Moai and then swim across the lake using a reed raft as a board. And what a sight these men are: You should see the faces of the tourists who notice them for the first time with their mouths open- a true 'WOW!-look at them! Just! LOOK! AT!THEM!' expression followed by the fast opening of their cameras as they zoom in to those buttocks, that body paint, this colourful body decoration.
At the beginning of the most important events the contestants prepare an earth oven meal which is cooked by the buried hot stones. At the end of the event they then share the meal.
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