This song is a popular ‘Cueca brava, ’ also known as ‘Cueca Chilenera.’ The ‘Cueca’ was designated a na tional dance in Chile since 1979 and it has been danced throughout this country since the early 19th century, both in the countryside and in the cities. The styles of the ‘Cuecas’ are different according to the nature of the texts and to traditions of each region. The origin of the ‘Cueca’ is unclear, but certainly it developed in the Viceroyalty of Peru, fi rst as a dance called the ‘zamacueca, ’ which in turn originated from the ‘jota’ and the ‘fandango.’ It is danced in couples who dance apart from each other while waving red scarves and moving in circles. The musicologist Carlos Vega writes: “it is possible to consider the ‘Cueca’ as a parody of courtship between a cock and a hen: the scarves could symbolize feathers or ridges within a choreography that is characterized by loose interdependent partners.” In describing the ‘Cueva’ another musicologist, Samuel Claro, explains that “the choreography recalls the ancient or medieval tournaments and derives from the pantomime of love …” It is a festive and cheerful dance, accompanied by guitars, harp, accordion and percussion instruments, although it is written mostly in minor keys. The rhythm combines measures of 6/8 and 3/4.