“Legend has it that long ago in a land of the Tlacololol there was an atmosphere of despair because their crops were threatened by the Tiger.
One day a traveller arrived in the village that they nicknamed El Pitero because he liked to play the flute and drum making the Tlacololeros dance with delight. Seeing the problem facing the Tlacololeros, the Pitero recalled that the tigers fear thunder, so he built an instrument called a squeak that reproduced the sound.
One morning, guided by the music of the Pitero, they went out in search of the tiger to end their threat. After hours of searching, the silhouette of the tiger was drawn.
The Tiger, confident by the force he possessed, lept – but brave and cunningly, all the Tlacololeros made their squeaks sound. When he heard the thunders, the Tiger fled in fear as the Tlacololeros celebrated their victory. The Tiger was never seen again in the Tlacololol land. Legend has it that Tlacololeros dance to the rhythm of the Pitero.” – Fourth Bscuro.
The tradition of Los Tlacololeros dates back to 130 + years. Their dance praises nature, the Mother Earth, and is made up of 16 songs. The outfit consists of a wide-wing palm hat covered in marigolds, that can weigh up to 65 pounds. He wears a hand-carved wooden mask, colorful scarves, a red handkerchief, and chaparreras.
