Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a video of traditional Afro-Colombian music, dancing, and chanting.
Information about Colombian palenques and about San Basilio De Palenque in particular is included in this post along with selected comments from this video's discussion thread.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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PALENQUES IN COLOMBIAN HISTORY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quilombo
A quilombo (Portuguese pronunciation: [kiˈlõbu]; from the Kimbundu word kilombo) is a Brazilian hinterland settlement founded by people of African origin including the Quilombolas, or Maroons. Most of the inhabitants of quilombos (called quilombolas) were escaped slaves and, in some cases, later these escaped African slaves would help provide shelter and homes to other minorities of marginalised Portuguese, Brazilian aboriginals, Jews[citation needed] and Arabs,[citation needed] and/or other non-black, non-slave Brazilians. However, the documentation on runaway slave communities typically uses the term mocambo, an Ambundu word meaning "hideout", to describe the settlements. A mocambo is typically much smaller than a quilombo. Quilombo was not used until the 1670s and then primarily in more southerly parts of Brazil.
A similar settlement exists in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, and is called a palenque. Its inhabitants are palenqueros who speak various Spanish-African-based creole languages.
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Italics added to highlight these sentences.
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From https://www.wola.org/analysis/palenques-legacy-afro-colombian-resistance/
"Numerous palenques, or free towns for escaped slaves, gradually emerged at different moments and in different regions of Colombia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. One of the most important and influential of these is Palenque de San Basilio, which was first recognized in 1713 and designated by UNESCO in 2005 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Today, Palenque de San Basilio stands as monument to resistance and the fight for a better life in Afro-Colombian communities."...
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From https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatch-4-palenque-an-afro-colombian-community-87781979/ Colombia Dispatch 4: Palenque: An Afro-Colombian Community
"Four hundred years ago, escaped slaves formed Palenque. Today, the Colombian town celebrates its African roots By Kenneth Fletcher, MITHSONIAN.COM, OCTOBER 28, 2008
Centuries ago, escaped slaves built isolated forts in the jungles that surround Cartagena, once Colombia’s main port for incoming slaves. Today, the Afro-Colombian inhabitants of San Basilio de Palenque, a village just over an hour from Cartagena, have preserved many of the customs of their African ancestors.
I wander around the dusty streets and of the small town on a scorching hot day, listening to residents speaking a local Creole tongue. A mixture of African languages with Spanish and Portuguese, it sounds a lot like the Bantu languages of central Africa. Although the town now has electricity and running water in most homes, locals still gather at the creek to wash clothes, chat and bathe. In the center of town there’s a statue of town founder Benkos Bioho breaking out of chains. Locals say he established Palenque in 1603 with 36 other escaped slaves.
While most other strongholds for escaped slaves eventually fell, this one survived because of its isolation among the hills and swamps about 30 miles outside Cartagena. Locals claim that in 1713 the inhabitants declared it the first independent community in the Americas. Escaped slaves would head to Palenque, knowing that was their chance at freedom. But several decades ago, that same isolation led residents, called Palenqueros, to leave the village for big cities in search of work.
Today, colorfully dressed Palenquera women commute to Cartagena to sell candy and fruit on the streets, while many men work in construction and paving roads. But when Palenqueros first arrived in the cities they encountered racism and were mocked for their strange language. Out of embarrassment, many refrained from observing their traditional customs.
Near the town square, I sat down with Edwin Valdez Hernandez, a charismatic young instructor at the Batata Dance and Music School in Palenque. He tells me that in the 1980s and ’90s a new generation of young, educated Palenqueros fostered a resurgence in pride in the community’s African roots.
“We defend our values with a shout,” Valdez says. “We are black, and we are defending our culture.”
He believes this pride is essential to combating the racism he says still flourishes on the Colombian coast. His friend, Enrique Marques, agrees, “If you lose your culture, you become a slave again.”
The town’s public school now teaches Palenque’s traditional language to all students."...
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SHOWCASE VIDEO - BAILE MAPALE, ORIKYTABALA , DE SAN BASILIO DE PALENKE, CARTAGENA COLOMBIA
tradicionyfuzzion, Published on Sep 18, 2008
BAILE MAPALE POR ORIKYTABALA DE SANBASILIO DE PALENKE HERENCIA AFRIKA
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I think the Spanish to English translation of this sentence is "Mapale Orikytabala dance from San Basilip Palenque, Cartegena, Colombia
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Here are selected comments from the discussion thread of this video (Numbers are added for referencing purposes only and the English translations are given after all of these comments.)
1. sandrajara28, 2014
"En Colombia estamos orgullosos de nuestras raices africanas e indigenas para todo el que piense que diciendonos negros nos insultas este es el verdadero folclor y la COLOMBIA MESTIZA..QUE VIVA EL AFRICA DENTRO DE COLOMBIA QUE VIVA PALENQUE HPTA "!!!!!!"
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2. ana rabat, 2015
"Yo soy de África central y tenemos un baile parecido. Qué bueno saber que hay un pedazo de mi África en Colombia."
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REPLY
3. Nene Loxano Diax, 2015
"+ana rabat Si no estas enterada hay un corregimiento que se llama SAN BACILIO DE PALUENQUE queda en el departamento de Bolívar deberías ir a visitarlo son descendientes de africa."
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REPLY
4. Billy DeCastro, 2015
"+ana rabat la música del norte y el este del país está influenciada por danzas introducidas a estas regiones por esclavos africanos. que fueron traídos a colombia por europeos, la mezcla de estas con las notas e instrumentos locales formaron un folklor único pero variado en la forma de festejarlo, por largo tiempo fue solo de nuestro suelo, que luego se esparció por toda latino america y las islas del caribe"
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REPLY ]to question in Spanish "What are the names (of these dances?)"
5. Billy DeCastro, 2016
"To? Guillermo De Castro, bailes. Cumbia y Mapale, en el este en Choco y Buenaventura hay varias danzas que tienen raices africana
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6. Cha Ara Gallego, 2016
"Eso es un buen mapalé: Fuerza, energía, sabor, sensualidad; nunca vulgaridad. Maravilloso, San Basilio de Palenque."
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REPLY
7. Alex Monher, 2016
"HOLA SALUDOS DE MEXICO DESCONOS QUE ES UN MAPALE PODRIAS EXPLICARLO POR FAVOR"
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REPLY
8. Cha Ara Gallego, 2016
"Hola, claro. El mapalé es un ritmo y una danza de origen afro y es propio de la costa atlántica colombiana. Se caracteriza, entra varias cosas, por tener movimientos fuertes y sensuales (no vulgares). En esta danza se representan diversos aspectos de la cultura afro que se encuentra en nuestro país. Ente ellas, la imitación del movimiento que hace un pez, al que le llaman mapalé, cuando lo sacan del agua. Esta expresión tuvo su origen hace siglos cundo vivíamos en Colombia la terrible época de la segregación y la esclavitud de la raza negra. Como te digo tiene sus orígenes en las expresiones afros y a ello se suma la mezcla de razas y toda esta cuestión étnica que se dio aquí en la época de la colonia. Actualmente se conservan esta y otras expresiones afros. El video muestra a un grupo de San Basilio de Palenque (el África pequeño, como lo llamamos también), una población cimarrona cerca de Cartagena. San Basilio fue el primer asentamiento de esclavos libres en Colombia. Su lider fue Benkhos Biojó y es para nosotros muy valioso, en todos los aspectos, contar con la vigencia de esta población en la que es como si se hubiese detenido el tiempo en tanto que aún se puede ver la riqueza y belleza de sus arraigadas costumbres y expresiones. Esto es algo muy breve del mapalé. Es muchísimo lo que hay detrás de esta y de las demás danzas afrocolombianas, que son fuerza, sabor, pasión y puro sentimiento; pero aquí te cuento un poco.
Espero haber podido aportar algo en tu haber. Y estás invitadísimo para que vengas y conozcas esta y las otras culturas de nuestro país. Te enamorarás. Yo no soy afrodescendiente, pero me declaro afro y palenquera de corazón, y soy fiel admiradora de esta raza bella, libre y fuerte. Un abrazo caluroso desde Colombia.
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REPLY
9. Alex Monher, 2016
"GRACIAS POR LA EXPLICACION A ORA ME QUEDA CLARO QUE ES UN MAPALE ES MEJOR PREGUNTAR QUE QUEDARSE CON LA DUDA LA MEJOR EXPLICACION DE UNA PERSONA DE COLOMBIA GRACIAS CLARO QUE ME ENAMORARIA DE COLOMBIA YA QUE EN LA CD DE MEXICO AMAMOS LA MUSICA DE COLOMBIA MUY BUEN SABOR Y RITMO SALUDOS DE MEXICO GRACIAS POR RESPONDER".
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10. Benishka García, 2017
"Quiero visitar este Palenque. Quiero sentir el repicar de los tambores cerca de mí. Viva mi Madre Patria África."
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Here are Google translations Spanish to English translations of these comments:
1. sandrajara28, 2014
"In Colombia we are proud of our African and indigenous roots for all who think that telling us blacks insults us this is the real folklore and the COLOMBIA MESTIZA..THE LIVE AFRICA WITHIN COLOMBIA THAT LIVES PALTAQUE HPTA "!!!"
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2. ana rabat, 2015
"I am from central Africa and we have a similar dance. Good to know there is a piece of my Africa in Colombia."
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REPLY
3. Nene Loxano Diax, 2015
"+ ana rabat If you are not aware there is a corregimiento that is called SAN BACILIO DE PALUENQUE is in the department of Bolívar you should go to visit him they are descendants of africa."
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corregimiento = district (location) ?
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REPLY
4. +Ana Rabat music from the north and east of the country is influenced by dances introduced to these regions by African slaves. that were brought to Colombia by Europeans, the mixture of these with the notes and local instruments formed a unique but varied folk in the way of celebrating it, for a long time it was only from our soil, which later spread throughout Latin America and the islands from the Caribbean
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REPLY
5. To? Guillermo De Castro, dances. Cumbia and Mapale, in the east in Choco and Buenaventura there are several dances that have African roots
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6. Cha Ara Gallego, 2016
"That's a good mapalé: Strength, energy, taste, sensuality; never vulgarity. Wonderful, San Basilio de Palenque."
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REPLY
7. Alex Monher, 2016
"HELLO GREETINGS FROM MEXICO WE KNOW THAT IT IS A MAPLE YOU COULD EXPLAIN IT PLEASE."
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REPLY
8. Cha Ara Gallego, 2016
"Hi, of course. The mapalé is a rhythm and a dance of Afro origin and is typical of the Colombian Atlantic coast. It is characterized, it enters several things, by having strong and sensual movements (not vulgar). In this dance various aspects of Afro culture that is found in our country are represented. Among them, the imitation of the movement made by a fish, which they call mapalé, when they take it out of the water. This expression had its origin centuries ago when we lived in Colombia the terrible era of segregation and slavery of the black race. As I say, it has its origins in Afro expressions and to this is added the mixture of races and all this ethnic question that was given here at the time of the colony. Currently this and other Afro expressions are preserved. The video shows a group of San Basilio de Palenque (small Africa, as we also call it), a maroon population near Cartagena. San Basilio was the first settlement of free slaves in Colombia. Its leader was Benkhos Biojó and it is for us very valuable, in all aspects, to have the validity of this population in which it is as if the time had stopped while you can still see the richness and beauty of its deep-rooted customs and expressions. This is something very brief of the mapalé. There is a lot of what is behind this and the other Afro-Colombian dances, which are strength, taste, passion and pure feeling; but here I tell you a little.
I hope I could contribute something to your credit. And you are very invited to come and know this and the other cultures of our country. You will fall in love I am not an Afro-descendant, but I declare myself afro and a palenquero of heart, and I am a faithful admirer of this beautiful, free and strong race. A warm hug from Colombia."
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REPLY
9. Alex Monher, 2016
"THANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION TO PRAYER IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS A MAPLE IT IS BETTER TO ASK THEM TO STAY WITH THE DOUBT THE BEST EXPLANATION OF A PERSON FROM COLOMBIA THANK YOU CLEAR I WOULD LOVE COLOMBIA SINCE ON THE CD OF MEXICO WE LOVE THE MUSIC OF COLOMBIA VERY GOOD FLAVOR AND RITUM GREETINGS FROM MEXICO THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING."
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10.Benishka García, 2017
"I want to visit this Palenque. I want to feel the drumming of the drums near me. Long live my Motherland Africa."
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Here are three selected comments from the discussion thread of another copy of this YouTube video: (Comments are numbered for referencing purposes only)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcSdTrS6_Pg arthuroneil, Published on Mar 20, 2011
1. Laura Betancur, 2012
"No, they do not say Palenque, they say "Mapalé", which is the musical rhythm dancing
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2. Jeanne Suila, 2016
"Sound like the traditional music and dance of the ethnic Kongo people of the 2 Congos and Angola (North Angola)."
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REPLY
3. Aprende Español, 2017
"Jeanne Suila so interesting, i dont know exactly where were from the slaves that spanish conquer bring to colombia, maybe from Kongo and Angola! For my country these traditions are very special and important, this is part of our history too."
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