arts

The Afro-Panamanian community has two main roots, an Antillean one that was established by immigrants from the Caribbean in the 19th and 20th centuries and the older colonial one descended from the black slaves who were imported by the Spaniards from the 16th through the early 19th centuries. Among the colonial blacks, there were the Cimarrones --- slaves who ran away and set up West African-style villages in the bush.

Portobelo is the most identifiably colonial black place in Panama, and the most notable remnants of Cimarron culture are the Atlantic side's style of diablo costumes --- the diablitos of the Azuero and La Chorrera and their progeny are distinct cultural forms which do not take on the remarkably African appearance you see in Colon province --- and congo dancing.

Behind the October 21 Festival of the Black Christ and along with the annual Portobelo Triathlon and diving on the area's coral reefs, the Diablos and Congos Festival has become one of the mainstays of Portobelo's tourism industry. The event, which takes place in the city's old Fort San Geronimo, will draw large crowds from near and far, which means that you should make certain preparations.

In the fort where the dancing begins early in the afternoon there's not a lot of shade, so to avoid burning and wilting under the dry season sun you should have a water bottle, a good hat and a supply of sunscreen. This year the fair has been extended into an all-day affair, with food, beverage and artwork vendors, boat rides around the bay to see the ruins of the colonial era defensive works and other attractions, Cimarron art displays and cultural workshops.

The event's growing popularity probably means more traffic on the two-lane Costa Arriba road and fewer parking options than ever before, so you may want to head out early and figure that you will park a ways out of little Portobelo's town center and walk to the center of activities. Another possible option is to come the day before, drive past Portobelo to La Guaira, take the boat across to Isla Grande and stay the night in a hotel there --- if there are still rooms to be had.



Also in this section:
Diablos and Congos in Portobelo on the 19th
Colon bus art
Gallery & Museum Guide

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