This festival celebrates the cimarrona culture of Panama. It takes place every two years in Portobelo, Colon during the second Saturday after Ash Wednesday. The festival represents the struggle between the congos, former slaves who escaped, and the devils, who represent the slave masters. Locals dress in colorful polleras dresses or the masks of the devils. Caribbean and traditional music are played as the congos dance el congo, representing the cruelty of slavery. One highlight is seeing the historical fortress walls become colorful during the dances.
This festival celebrates the cimarrona culture of Panama. It takes place every two years in Portobelo, Colon during the second Saturday after Ash Wednesday. The festival represents the struggle between the congos, former slaves who escaped, and the devils, who represent the slave masters. Locals dress in colorful polleras dresses or the masks of the devils. Caribbean and traditional music are played as the congos dance el congo, representing the cruelty of slavery. One highlight is seeing the historical fortress walls become colorful during the dances.
This festival celebrates the cimarrona culture of Panama. It takes place every two years in Portobelo, Colon during the second Saturday after Ash Wednesday. The festival represents the struggle between the congos, former slaves who escaped, and the devils, who represent the slave masters. Locals dress in colorful polleras dresses or the masks of the devils. Caribbean and traditional music are played as the congos dance el congo, representing the cruelty of slavery. One highlight is seeing the historical fortress walls become colorful during the dances.
15/09/2020 Type of holiday It take place in Portobelo, province of Colón
This festival is celebrated in Portobelo's Community.
It is one of the most important expressions of 'cimarrona' culture in Panamá. It takes place every two years, during the second Saturday after the ash and three times a year, the Caribbean rhythm is heard, at the Feast of the Black Christ, on Ash Wednesday and during the biennial. What people do to celebrate The people represent the struggle between evil and good. In they which the 'congos' characterize the former slaves of black ethnicity who managed to escape from their oppressors, while the 'devils' are instead the embodiment of the slave masters. A special type of clothing The locals dressing 'polleras' astonishing stravagant dresses colorfull and the sorrowful masks of the devils with red and black suits . A type of music The Caribbean music and traditional music are the rhythms that dance in this festival. A traditional dance “El Congo” is danced on the coast of Colón and represents the cruelty suffered by the black population during the colonial period, when slavery was allowed. It is an expressive dance. A special event One of the most beautiful oportunities that shows this festival is the power to demonstrate historical 'bastiones' to the population and get to see the walls and stones of that fortress become colorful and watching the dances.