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Traveling to Palenque has an incredible history and story about people who care about preserving their heritage. We may have heard of all of the famous cities of Colombia, Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and Cartagena, but only a few know about San Basilio de Palenque.
This gem seemed like a well-kept secret. A few years ago, my friend visited me on my trip, and I knew I would enjoy this authentic experience. Meeting the people of Palenque and having them tell their stories to me was so incredible and educational.
I will never forget that moment. San Basilio de Palenque, the formal name of the place, is a small village in the Montes de Maria’s foothills, a small mountain range to the south of Cartagena. It doesn’t appear in many guidebooks, and few tourists take the time to visit.
Listen to the Oral History of Palenque
This small settlement of some 4,000 people is one of the essential historical villages in the Americas. It has been a UNESCO-declared ‘Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ since 2005.
Also, Palenque is considered the birthplace of a music genre called champeta. As a result, this music has evolved to become incredibly popular throughout Colombia and Latin America.
Palenque was the birthplace of the only Spanish-based creole language globally: Palenquero ‘[the language] of Palenque.’ Amazingly, this language is still practiced among the people from this town since Blacks escaped slavery and founded the town in 1603.
And it is the first settlement of free blacks in the Americas. It is a UNESCO Heritage site of cultural and historical importance. Being of African descent, I had to plan this stop in my itinerary to Colombia.
Dance with the People of Palenque
We took the tour hosted by “Experience The Real Cartagena.” Going to the village gave us authentic interactions with the people living there. We danced with the community’s youth, and one of the Palenque women let us cook with her in her home.
Walking through the streets was the most beautiful art. So much of the art represented the history and culture of this first settlement of free blacks in the Americas. I valued the oral history of the Palenque people’s descendants, and it was a cultural education.
The African Roots And Intangible Cultural Heritage Of San Basilio De Palenque
The Spanish crown did not colonize the people of San Basilio De Palenque, so they could keep their culture.
The escaped enslaved people, which slave traders sold, found this town that could help put an end to the slave trade, guaranteeing freedom for those who had been displaced earlier.
You can get in touch with their deep African culture, see the many walled communities they have, and learn a few new things about Palenque’s African past and ancestral traditions when you visit this beautiful Palenque De San Basilio African town.
Witness The Musical Traditions Of San Basilio De Palenque
If you are a music lover, you will visit San Basilio De Palenque because this unique cultural space in South America has unique and beautiful oral and musical traditions.
Palenque De San Basilio finds every opportunity to play music and dance to their Latin American tones.
The free African town plays marimbula sounds with excellent percussion instruments like the drums. San Basilio De Palenque uses this to celebrate good news and attend to the dead.
You can book a tour to participate in a workshop that allows you to hear the stories of a percussion teacher for about 15 minutes or more.
Experience The Uniqueness Of Palenque De San Basilio
An important and intriguing factor that draws people to this beautiful town in South America is its beautiful language, traditional medicine, and religion they practice.
The Unique Language Spoken
The people of Palenque de san Basilio’s grammar differ substantially. They spoke a language they invented when the enslaved Africans escaped from the Spanish speakers. It is a Spanish-based creole language spoken by the citizens of this free town. You would love to hear and even learn the Spanish creole language when you visit.
They keep this as their language alive and ensure that the language spoken continues to grow. They made the language unintelligible, so the Spanish crown issued to enslave Basilio Africans could not understand their Palenque language.
However, it is not known if a language existed previously in San Basilio and Montes de maría before the royal decree by the British and the Africans arrived. In that case, you can still learn to speak Palenquero when you visit.
Traditional Medicine
The people of Palenque de san Basilio use herbs or medicinal plants to cure issues like diabetes, liver, cholesterol, and intestinal problems. You can book a tour where you will be shown the different medicinal plants used in San Basilio de palenque.
In addition, different theories exist in this small town. These escaped enslaved people, direct descendants from west Africa, carried a few herbs to help preserve customs in the seventeenth century, before the Colombian civil war.
Some research also noted no deaths due to COVID-19 in Palenque de san Basilio. This is something the Colombian government is proud of in this first town.
It says a lot about the level of their traditional medicine. Palenque de san Basilio is a great place to visit if you have health issues. The whole unique experience will be worth it.
Lumbalu
The citizens of Palenque De San Basilio in Cartagena De Indias have a belief that comes from their indigenous ancestry. When the citizens of the walled city, called Palenqueras, die in the village, they believe that the individual’s soul will return between 6 am and 5:30 pm for the next nine days after death.
The villagers now play drums and dance to serve as a local guides and help accompany the individual to their resting place. You can learn more about this during your visit to further understand what it represents.
San Basilio De Palenque Religious Practices
They have a catholic church in the main square of the regional capital in San Basilio De Palenque, but everyone is free to practice whatever religion they choose. People are free to worship their African gods and marry how their religion permits them to.
Some religions allow men to have more than one wife, which is different from what the enslaved Africans learned from the Spanish crown. They practiced these religions to get in touch with their original African roots before they were enslaved Africans.
Go And Experience The Amazing And Unique Culture Of San Basilio De Palenque!
A visit to the free town of San Basilio de palenque of Cartagena may be just what you need if you are a woman over 50. The experience will be lighthearted and will leave you feeling refreshed.
You get to learn about their different roots and how the town came. Vacations can also be educational, and a visit to this amazing city will give you the knowledge you seek, so book a trip now!
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