Saint Basil of Palenque, Colombia – Overlooking the normally peaceful and languid town of San Basilio de Palenque is a statue of Benkos Bioho, fugitive slave, founder of the town and symbol of the town’s heritage and unique nature.
“Africa is everything to me, it is everything to us Palenqueros,” says Nuno Bembele, education advisor for the San Basilio de Palenque community council, who is sitting in the shade of the town square, wearing a bright green polo shirt emblazoned with the image by Bioho.
Nestled in the lush green hills of Colombia, the city is warm and lush, and quiet murmurs of pedestrian activity pepper the humble town square.
It’s a quiet Saturday afternoon and the city is still experiencing a brief rain. People stroll along the two parallel streets that frame the square – the only two paved streets in the city – apparently looking for something to do. Most others spend their time simply sitting on their porches or clustered around a large speaker playing traditional vallenato and drinking cold beers or sharing warm rum to pass the time.
A handful of elderly men sit around a plastic table and play dominoes on the side of the road, while – behind them – a group of schoolchildren play football barefoot, with their flip-flops and flip-flops scattered in a pile to the side. from his improvised field. , with stones filling in as beams.
But this afternoon, this quintessentially Colombian scene is suddenly interrupted by the rhythmic beat of distant drums. “Viva Palenque!”, sings someone.
San Basilio is known as the first free city, founded by former slaves, in the Americas and is 50 km (31 miles) from the popular port city of Cartagena.
After breaking his chains and freeing himself from slavery at the hands of Spanish colonial rulers, Bioho – originally from present-day Guinea-Bissau – established the small town in the 17th century as a safe haven for former slaves like himself.
He successfully planned and led the escape of 30 slaves from Cartagena in 1619, and fought off Spanish attempts to recapture them. Bioho – “King Benkos” as he became known – and slaves established modern San Basilio as a liberation enclave for emancipated slaves. They successfully fought to free Cartagena’s many slaves and integrate them into their new community.
Efforts by Spanish colonial forces to suppress the growth of San Basilio failed and the city became its own independent community, led by King Benkos. Eventually, in 1691, the Spanish Crown offered the city its freedom and autonomy, as long as it stopped harboring fugitive slaves, although many continued to join. Bioho led such efforts until his capture and execution at the hands of Spanish colonists in 1621.
As the city grew, so did its own culture and identity – and even its own language, Palenquero, which is still spoken in the city to this day and is an integral element of the city’s unique identity.
In 1772, a peace agreement was reached, integrating the town into the municipality of Mahates, under the condition that it no longer accept fugitives, and since then it has remained under its jurisdiction.
Until now.
For the second time in its history, the city of San Basilio de Palenque regained its independence, after the Colombian Senate approved an amendment to the law that gives the city the title of “special municipality”, granting it autonomous government and governance.
Taking back the ‘reins of destiny’
On May 21 – Afro-Colombian National Day – the Colombian Senate approved a modification to the law that allows San Basilio de Palenque to be officially recognized as its own autonomous municipality, granting it independence from the municipality of Mahates, which has historically been responsible for the city . , much to the chagrin of local residents.
The decision is somewhat unconventional, as the city has only 4,200 inhabitants and cities of such a small size do not normally receive such a degree of autonomy in Colombia. Typically, only cities with a population of at least 25,000 are considered for municipality status.
However, given the cultural, historical and ethnic importance of the city, the Senate made an exception.
The campaign to achieve administrative autonomy began in 2013 and has been debated several times in the Senate, but was not approved.
Now, finally, San Basilio will have its own mayor and local administrative body, as well as dedicated state funding. The movement also hopes to reinforce Afro-Colombian culture, traditions and identity that are often forgotten and often lack space and support.
“What’s coming to Palenque is a dream. The municipality symbolizes Benkos’ struggle, our independence, our autonomy. The children of Palenque can now take the reins of the destiny of San Basilio,” Pedro Marquez, a San Basilio native and local educator, told Al Jazeera from a rocking chair on his porch as he watches the children and the occasional horse up. and down. your humble and dirty street.
The legal change to officially recognize and implement San Basilio’s new statute has not yet been ratified by regional authorities and signed by the Colombian president. Everything indicates that ratification will be approved.
Residents feel this is an opportunity to shape the city’s administration to better meet their needs and protect their cultural heritage. Many hope to see the rest of the city’s streets paved, as well as better waste management, in a bid to clean up the city and reduce pollution from the green hills surrounding San Basilio.
The change in San Basilio’s status is also the result of a more favorable political climate under the leadership of left-wing President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Márquez – the country’s first black person to hold the title – who have pledged to give greater representation and support for marginalized communities such as the country’s Afro-Colombian population.
“Currently there is an important context because there is a progressive government that has a clear agenda on racial and territorial issues, which has created a political environment favorable to this type of initiative”, says Orlando Deavila, PhD in history from the University of Connecticut and professor assistant at the International Institute of Caribbean Studies at the University of Cartagena.
“Previous municipal administrations did not understand what Palenque is, what it means to be Palenquero. Through this recognition, we ourselves, Palenqueros, are responsible, we know our needs and we know how to manage the resources that will come our way”, says Bembele.
Fighting for language and culture
Despite its rich cultural and linguistic heritage, San Basilio still faces an uphill battle when it comes to preserving its customs, native language and what “it means to be Palenquero”.
The city’s language, Palenquero, is a creole language that emerged in the mid-17th century. It has Spanish roots and is a mix of African Bantu languages believed to be the mother tongue of the diverse group of fugitive slaves who settled in the small town centuries ago.
According to 2009 government data, only 18 percent of Palenquero’s total population is fluent in their native language, while 32 percent neither speak nor understand it and only 21 percent of speakers are under the age of 29.
However, with initiatives like a local rap collective, Kombilesa Mi, residents hope to revive the language. The collective was formed in 2011 by San Basilio native Andris Pandilla, known locally as Afro Neto, and several friends, who saw hip-hop as a chance to spread the Palenquero language.
They sing in Palenquero, as well as in Spanish, with the “intention of strengthening the cultural identity of Palenqueros through music and cultural manifestations that are part of our heritage,” Padilla told Al Jazeera, sitting in the collective’s quarters, surrounded by drums and percussion instruments, a necklace with the image of Africa hanging around the neck.
Kombilesa Mi created a genre that they dubbed Palenquero folk rap and, over the last decade, they have grown from a humble local act to a Grammy-nominated collective that has performed throughout Latin America, as well as in Africa and the US.
As the collective’s flag bearer, Padilla recognizes that it is “a great joy, but also a responsibility” to defend the city’s roots and culture, and states that people often dismiss Palenquero as “poorly spoken Spanish”.
“Our fight is to protect the language so that the Palenqueros can speak it, teach it and ensure that it is not lost. This is the mission we have with our music and art. If language is lost, we will all lose. A people who lose their language lose the greatest cultural wealth they have ever had,” says Padilla.
A unique culture
This afternoon, reminders of the city’s African roots and heritage decorate much of the city. Murals with the silhouette of the continent are pasted on the shops that line the square. The flags of all African nations sit atop the market stalls in the square, which sell souvenirs and crafts with traditional African patterns and designs.
In 2005, UNESCO recognized San Basilio as an Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. There is a strong sense of belonging and community in the city, rooted in its African heritage, traditional customs and belief systems, as well as music.
The Palenqueros believe that Africa is their final resting place, and the Lumbalu funeral ritual – a ceremony involving traditional songs, music and dances believed to have Angolan roots – is of great importance among locals.
San Basilio also has its own neighborhood watch organization called the Brown Guard, as emancipated and escaped slaves were nicknamed “maroons.” The task force helps address disputes within the community and mitigate problems that may arise in the city.
“It is a culturally diverse city, with a distinct African footprint, and from this derives its current cultural specificity. San Basilio is an icon of the country’s diversity”, says Deavila.
The united community of San Basilio has reason to be happy and hopeful about the new administrative status that may arise.
“Today, [Bioho] We should feel proud because we are still working and fighting to claim the rights of the entire Afro-Colombian community,” Bembele told Al Jazeera, with a tattoo of Africa proudly displayed on his calf.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
