Indian Music to Celebrate Christmas in Moxo Jesuit Reductions, Bolivia

A recent discovery of nearly 13,000 pages of baroque music from the Jesuit Reductions in Bolivia sheds new light on Native American contributions to and influences on colonial-era music. This trove of musical manuscripts challenges existing assumptions about the nature of 'Indian' components in baroque music, revealing a dynamic interplay between autochthonous traditions and missionary-composed works during Christmas celebrations. The study employs a critical analysis of these texts to argue for a more nuanced understanding of cultural exchange, where local musicians and missionaries collaboratively shaped musical practices within the missions.

Nawrot, P. (2018). Indian Music to Celebrate Christmas in Moxo Jesuit Reductions, Bolivia. Poznańskie Studia Teologiczne, (30), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.14746/pst.2016.30.05