Congo Culture

Congo culture grew among the cimarrones, people who escaped enslavement on the Caribbean coast and formed their own communities, and it works as ritual, dance, music and theatre together. The congo season runs from the start of January to Ash Wednesday, during which participants speak a deliberately inverted language, elect a king and queen, wear ragged and reversed clothing, and stage an ongoing satire in which the devil is confronted and defeated. Drumming and call-and-response singing drive it. UNESCO inscribed the whole complex in 2018. Portobelo and the villages along that coast are where it is strongest, and Isla Grande has its own version.

What you actually see

• The congo season - January to Ash Wednesday along the Colón coast.
• The drumming and dance - call and response with the congo drums.
• The devil figures - masked and confronted through the season.
• Portobelo - the centre of the tradition, with a congo museum.

When to go

The season runs from January to Ash Wednesday, with carnival the peak. Portobelo, Isla Grande and Nombre de Dios all hold their own. Outside the season, performances happen at cultural events and by arrangement.

Honest expectations

This is a community ritual rather than a show, and turning up with a camera during the season is not always welcome; ask. The Colón coast requires care and Colón city itself has a serious crime problem. Staged performances for visitors exist and are a thinner version. The inverted language is deliberately hard to follow even for Spanish speakers.

Nearby

Portobelo is the centre; Isla Grande and Nombre de Dios are along the coast.