Humberto Morales from Ecuador teaches us about the Zampoña, a traditional Andean instrument.

Meet Joaquín Pérez, an award-winning Andalusian Nativity Scene sculptor.

Meet Cesar Flores, the owner of the Kory Malku Andean shoe store in Otavalo, Ecuador.

Antonio Manuel Martínez Alfaro, the drummer from Tobarra, Spain, explains how some of Holy Week's most important items- his cross, his robe and his drum- were passed down to him from previous generations.

Antonio Manuel Martínez Alfaro, a drummer from Tobarra, Spain, tells us a bit about the famed Holy Week celebrations there, during which drumming can be heard non-stop for one hundred and four hours from Good Wednesday to Easter Sunday.

Mario learns that diversity at the Mono Núñez Festival extends beyond the various Colombian musicians, as English people seem to enjoy Andean music as much as Colombians do!

At Colombia's Mono Núñez music festival, many indigenous musical instruments can be heard. Learn about some of them in this video.

Nelly Ocacia and Benjamín Moldonado are both 19-year-old university students, and enjoy dancing with the Ballet Folklórico Guamanique when not studying. We caught up with them at the airport in San Juan, where they were welcoming new arrivals and seeing off departing passengers, much to the delight of travelers.

When Candelario makes fun of her hairstyle, Guillermina storms off, only to be aided by yet another fantastical creature.

Ecuadorian "Poné," or shamans, utilize plants for their medicinal effects. In this video, we learn about some of their beliefs and wisdom.

Residents of Otavalo, Ecuador, explain to us how they celebrate "Inti Raymi," an Inca Empire celebration in honor of the sun god, "Inti," and how it helps them to preserve their culture.

As the fifteenth birthday of young girls in Venezuela and most other Latin American countries marks a special rite of passage into womanhood, it is traditional for the family to throw them a big birthday bash.

Raquel tells us about Spain's most traditional and unique annual festivals.

José Peñafiel, a member of the brotherhood in Tobarra, Spain, a municipality in the Albacete province, explains to us about some of its famous Holy Week observances.

Singing in Nasa Yuwe, their native language, is one way in which Colombia's indigenous Nasa population strives to preserve and make more visible their language, culture and customs.

You may know the baraja española, the Spanish deck of cards, with its classic renderings of kings and knights in four suits. Our illustrator friend Antonio Vargas created a uniquely Mexican baraja with native imagery drawing from the pre-Columbian Aztec, Olmec, Toltec and Mayan cultures.

La Vela is a small town in the state of Falcón, on the northwest coast of Venezuela, where every December 28th Los Locos [“The Crazy Ones”] arrive wearing colorful and elaborated costumes. The whole town becomes a party, with businesses closing and people dancing in the streets. It’s a tradition that could be in any magical realism novel and that desperately struggles to not fall into oblivion.

It’s quite possible that El Día de Los Locos, as celebrated in La Vela de Coro, has its roots as far back as the Roman Empire, which celebrated Saturnalia at the same time of year. Both festivals, historically, involve turning the social order on its head, with slaves dressing like their masters.

Deep in the heart of Old San Juan you can hear live salsa music playing most any night at the Nuyorican Cafe. We stepped into the alley for a breather and had a little chat with two lovely salseras to get an insider view of what brings them back to the dance floor night after night.

Most English speakers have at some time in their lives heard Donovan sing “The Hurdy Gurdy Man,” but how many knew what such a man did? The woman in this video talks about a musical family that used to play the sinfonía, and indeed this is the Spanish name for the hand-crank organ known as a “hurdy gurdy.”

Vela, a word often used for “candle,” or “sail,” can also mean “wakefulness,” as in “vigilance.” It’s related to the verb velar, “to stand watch.” The name of the port city of La Vela de Coro refers not to the “sails” of merchant ships (as many assume) but rather to this town’s role as a “lookout” point for marauding pirates. One-eyed peg-legs are now less common, but the carnivalesque annual festival of Los Locos continues on.

On a fishing excursion, Guillermina and Candelario are confused when their grandfather decides to toss back a fish they catch.

Guillermina and Candelario are excited to embark on a fishing trip with their beloved grandpa.

A competition between Guillermina and her frog friend demonstrates each of their individual strengths.