Lost rhythms

Saturday night Kit and I headed out to Bocachica, a village on the nearby island of Tierra Bomba (which I likened to Staten Island in an earlier post). When we arrived, we were told that our musician friends had come across a legend of local folkloric rhythms.

On the left is Etelvina Maldonado, and on the right is Victor "El Doctor." In the middle is an 85-year-old resident of Bocachica and the last remaining player of a lost Afro-Colombian rhythm. Victor searched for him on the island and convinced him to teach him the rhythm. As the two of them played, dozens of people from the village gathered around to listen and to sing.

Later that night the musicians played to celebrate the birthday of a local dancer. A highlight was seeing Etelvina sing with a beautiful young girl, maybe 20, who sings bullerengue as well. I marveled at the way these songs could go on for 10 or 12 minutes, with the same refrain, but with the singers taking turns improvising lyrics pertaining to the theme of the song. Don't you see? It's jazz! It's hip-hop!

The party went all night, and the next morning we toured the village: no running water, very little tourism, but no crime or squalor. With Etelvina and her husband we toured a minor fort located on the southern tip of the island, which was used as an arrival point for African slaves in colonial times. When a local told us that the Spanish would fill the moat with sharks in order to prevent any slaves from escaping, Etelvina's husband turned visibly furious. "That's how the Spanish treated the blacks!" he shouted. People don't tend to talk much about race here, but on that poor island, staring at history, it seemed entirely appropriate.

Umm, an update

I wish I could tell you more about what's been happening here with the festival, but I'm not allowed. Long story. I promise, you'll hear some news soon.

Also I have a couple of great entries planned for this page. Was going to have one for tonight, but the subject of the interview found himself in a broken-down car, so we had to postpone.

My friend Kit is visiting this week, it's been a lot of fun so far. Owing in large part to his formidable skills as a cook. Another holiday weekend coming up in Colombia, but it'll be busy.

Hasta pronto....