Abstract
In this article the author discusses the problem of “cultural objectification” which occurs in the process of cultural construction. The ethnographic data is based on a movement for Afro-Venezuelan cultural revitalization, which has been developing since 1979 in San Millán, in Venezuelan port city of Puerto Cabello. The author pays special attention to how cultural activists in the community integrated the creative nature of cultural revitalization and the essentialist nature in search for the “authentic tradition” in their cultural construction. The author applies the concept of “warranty policy of cultural authenticity” to illustrate how effectively worked the discourse of cultural activists. Through a case study of the successful cultural movement which deploys apparatus of cultural industry such as stage performance, music software industry and broadcasting media, the article illuminates the function of cultural activists as marketing agents of cultural commodities.
