Afro-Colombian Culture: History, Cultural Characteristics, Customs

The Afro-Colombian culture it is the set of customs and traditions of the Colombian people with afrodescendencia; these make up 10.6% of the total population of the country. They constitute an important part of the demography of Colombia, because their contributions and influences have been crucial for culture.

The arrival of the large African population to Colombia began in the early sixteenth century, when British sailors traded slaves with the Spanish Crown in then-New Granada. This practice continued for almost 300 years, making Colombia the epicenter of the slave trade in South America.

After the abolition of slavery in 1851, the Afro-Colombian population was integrated with difficulties into the country's society. In many cases they remained in the coastal areas where they landed or in the surrounding islands.

Despite the initial prohibition of manifesting their customs on Colombian soil, the traditions of Afro-descendants survived the time, some were modified after adapting to the culture of Colombia and others were integrated into the cultural heritage of the country.

History

Near the year 1520, slaves from the coasts of central Africa began to arrive in Colombia. In these areas, human trafficking by European navigators had taken place over generations.

Some of the countries that made up the trade were Angola, Ghana, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Upon arriving in South America they were employed as labor for heavy work, agriculture, mining and cargo. This was because the indigenous population decreased significantly as a result of war, famine and precarious living conditions.

The process of abolishing slavery took several years because slavers and merchants were not willing to give up what was then private property. Several changes in the laws of the country failed to seek manumission, but this was finally achieved in May 1851.

Afro-Colombian communities

Afro-descendant population in Colombia. Author: OCHA Colombia - DANE 2005 Census.

The Afro-Colombian communities settled in the areas near their first landings. Because the north coast of Colombia is divided by Panama, Afro-descendant groups are found on the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and on the shores of the Caribbean Sea.

Among the areas of Colombia with the highest density of Afro-descendants are the departments of Chocó (82%), Bolívar (27%), Cauca (22%) and Atlántico (20%). The municipalities with the highest black density are Santander de Quilichao (97.7%), María la Baja (97.1%) La Tola (96%) and Villa Rica (95%).

Also to the west of the Caribbean Sea is the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. This is one of the 32 departments of Colombia and its Afro-descendant population totals 56.98%. These Afro-American Antillean communities are known as raizales.

Palenque de San Basilio

Due to their condition of slaves, the African peoples in America were not allowed to demonstrate their customs or participate in the premises.

During this stage, in Colombia some slaves led by Benkos Biohó managed to escape and formed their own community: Palenque de San Basilio.

Palenque is baptized by its inhabitants as"the first free town of America", because it was founded at the end of the XVI century, when most of the continent was still colonized.

They have managed to preserve their customs and language; It is a site today named Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Cultural characteristics

ID

The term Afro-Colombian is a general category that refers to people with variable proportions of Afro-descendants who live in several regions of Colombia. That is, within Afro-Colombians there are different subcultures, they do not have a unified culture.

For example, the native inhabitants of the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, historically and culturally belong to an Antillean cultural complex formed under British colonial influence, but have been subject to an increasingly intense Colombianization since the beginning of the 20th century. .

Social position

Informal status and authority are achieved through seniority and personal traits. For example, the character, the experience, the success in the provision of goods, the leadership capacity. Some decisions and conflict management are handled at this level.

Family network

Afro-Colombians tend to have a flexible kinship network in which individuals and families have links within an undefined lineage, often simply referred to as a family. The classifications of"cousin"or"aunt"can group many relatives.

Religion

Afro-Colombians are Catholics. In the past and even in the 1990s, the clergy tended to disapprove of practices in the black regions, but with the emergence of a stronger black identity, some priests were willing to include"traditional"elements in church ceremonies. .

In the Pacific region , the presence of the church was quite weak, and many religious rites were practiced outside the direct control of the clergy.

In the Caribbean region less research has been carried out, but there are great similarities with the Pacific coast, although perhaps more attention is given to spirits than to saints.

In the Cauca region there are elements that are common in other black and non-black regions: the use of magic and witchcraft to attack enemies, bring good luck, influence sexual partners and defend against the intentions of others.

Language

Due to their communication needs, Afro-descendants formed creole languages. A Creole language is one that mixes different dialects; these are characteristics especially among African slaves in America who had to adapt to the language of the colonizers.

Upon reaching their destinations, the slaves were separated so that two people from the same tribe, family or region would not stay together. Thanks to this, Afro-descendants adapted their different languages, in addition to Spanish, Portuguese, French or English, to speak their merchants, thus forming a Creole language.

In Colombia, the Creole language based on Spanish is Palenquero Creole, spoken predominantly in Palenque de San Basilio.

This language has 3500 speakers. In the Colombian archipelago is also spoken in San Andrés Creole, a language derived from the English spoken by the raizales.

Customs and traditions

Music and dance

The characteristic sound of Afro-Colombian rhythms are the percussions. The drums set the pace for the fishing workers, who sang and danced while performing their tasks. From this tradition comes the mepalé, a popular Caribbean rhythm created by the slaves in their nights of revelry.

Among the regions of the Pacific, in the departments of Chocó, Cauca and Nariño, currulao is popular, a rhythm marked by the use of various drums: tambora, cununos macho and hembra, bombo, marimba and clarinete.

On the other hand, the champeta arises from Afro-Colombian populations in Cartagena de Indias during the 20th century. The term"champeta"comes from the name given to the machete or knife; it was given by the upper classes in a derogatory way, since both elements are associated with poverty and dark skin.

Celebrations

Among the various Afro-Colombian celebrations, perhaps the most popular one is the Barranquilla Carnival. It has its origins in the time of the colony and part of celebrating the African culture.

Its characteristic elements are masks and dancing to the rhythm of the congas. It is carried out four days before Ash Wednesday.

In Colombia, on May 21, the Afro-Colombian Day is celebrated. It was named on the same date of the abolition of slavery and its celebration seeks to pay tribute to the innumerable cultural contributions that Afro-descendants have given to the country.

Gastronomy

The characteristic Afro-Colombian dishes share a marked similarity with those of the center of Africa. In addition, they are made up of ingredients that abound on the Pacific coast and the Caribbean Sea. Afro-Colombian food consists predominantly of seafood, rice, beans, fruits and vegetables.

Following the tradition of the old continent, dishes often mix proteins with sweet and spicy flavors, all in one pot. For example, aphrodisiac rice consists of rice, coconut, squid, shrimp and lobster.

In the same way, tropical fruits are consumed in large quantities. The coconut and the banana are an important part of the Colombian gastronomy and the chontaduro, an endemic fruit of Colombia and Panama, is also consumed in juices.

References

1. Afro Cultural Assets (s.f.) Typical Afro-Colombian dishes. Afro Cultural Assets Foundation. Retrieved from Programaacua.org
2. Colombia (2016) The Lasting Influence of Colombia's African Heritage. Brand Country Colombia. Recovered from colombia.co
3. Let's talk about Cultures (s.f.) Afro-Colombian Culture: characteristics, gastronomy, art and more. Colombian culture. Recovered from hablemosdeculturas.com
4. Mufwene, S. (s.f.) Creole Languages. Linguistics Encyclopaedia Britannica. Recovered from Britannica.com
5. Spanish in Colombia (s.f.) Afro-Colombian Culture. Spanish in Colombia. Recovered from spanishincolombia.gov.co
6. Welsh, A. (2016) Champeta is the indestructible sound-system culture of Afro-Colombia. Fact Magazine Recovered from factmag.com