Congo, a tribute to the ‘resistance’ of enslaved blacks

The “elasticity” of enslaved black people during colonization and their struggle for freedom have been honored for centuries Congo Panamanians, cultural representation Afro-descendants Caribbean, through music and dance.

“Kongaan culture means brotherhood, resilience and the struggle of wild blacks (rebellious slaves) in the mountains for over 500 years,” says Afro-descendant and cultural manager, J.orge montenegro.

Congo is considered a culture, music genre and dance typical of the province Colonwhich is located in the Panamanian Caribbean and where there is a large presence of Afro-descendants, who keep alive this picturesque tradition that is considered UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from 2018

Through the rhythm of the drums and their colorful clothes, they recreate the historical episodes of colonialism by dancing with two central characters: the Congolese who act out the slaves brought from Africa and the “devils” who represent the subjugating conqueror.

MUSIC AND DANCE FOR THE “FIGHT” AGAINST SLAVERY

“Congo represents the enslaved Africans in the struggle for their freedom, life and enjoyment. By dancing and singing about history, they try to laugh and enjoy themselves despite their suffering,” coordinator Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of Panama, Emma Gomez.

The first Africans arrived in Panama at the beginning of the century 16 as slaves of Europeans, mainly Spaniards, to work on plantations. The Spanish threatened slaves with “devils” (a representation of evil in Catholicism) if they did not obey their orders.

As time passes, the first maroons rise and settle “palenka”places where those who escaped from slavery to fight for freedom lived.

During the dance, Kongo, dressed in suspenders – simulating the original clothing made from the scraps of the master’s fabrics – and with his face painted black, mockingly confronts the devil, disguised by a gigantic terrifying red and black mask.

The dance narrates this historical event, key to Afro-colonial culture, with steps, instruments and musical rhythms brought by slaves from Africa.

“The devil is evil because he is an enslaver. In some regions of Colón and Panama (the province where the capital is located) there is a ‘Dutchman’, because he was also an enslaver,” and “in other places there is a figure called mundición (curse) “, explains Professor Gómez.

QUEENS, FAIRY LEADERS

There are various characters during the musical interpretation of Kongo, among them is the queen, the foundation piece. The queen, who traces her origins among the slaves and women of the maroon groups, is dressed in a “pollera congo”, a long striking dress.

that’s how you dress Maria Elena Martinezwho proudly wears her crown for more than 30 years: “Being queen is an inheritance from my ancestors, from my grandmother, from my mother and father.”

“From the heart, wearing a crown, a skirt, a costume backwards is something delicious. When the drum sounds, the pores of my body, the hairs, stand up with the enthusiasm that our ancestors left us,” Martínez told EFE, who is participating in the festival this Saturday Devils and Kongs in Portobelo (Caribbean).

“Culture in the Congo is matriarchal, the woman is the one who dominates and has the power. For this reason, the queen represents the coordination that palenka has; she looks for other women to dance with, but also for food,” says Montenegro. , who He is a cultural manager.

In his opinion, “the most beautiful thing is that this queen is (usually) called La Merced, which comes from the Virgen de las Mercedes (a female figure of the Catholic religion), which is why she has a crown, although in Africa they also had crowns”.