Affective Memories and Popular Appropriation of Picaflor de los Andes

Abstract

This article examines how affective memories constructed by individuals claiming to have known Picaflor de los Andes contribute to the proliferation of fragmented versions of his life, generating a symbolic appropriation that strengthens his presence in the Andean popular imaginary. Using a qualitative and interpretive approach, in-depth interviews were conducted in various Andean locales, complemented by analysis of oral narratives and materials from social media. The results show that, although the memories are dispersed and not always verifiable, they contribute to the construction of a mythical figure of Picaflor, emotionally rooted in the community. The research concludes that these individual memories, though unsystematized, are crucial for keeping the artist's figure alive in the collective Andean imagination, functioning as an emotional and symbolic anchor that transcends official history.