You may see colorfully dressed, San Basilio de Palenque women selling exotic fruits in Cartagena’s old town. Plastered over magazines and Instagram photos, they are the subject of some of Colombia’s most prominent images.
However, few know of their remarkable roots in one of the most historically significant towns in the Americas.
San Basilio de Palenque lies just 2 hours south of Cartagena. Nestled in the foothills of the Montes de María, this tiny village, which was once hidden away from outsiders, has kept its traditions for centuries.
The preservation of its cultural heritage led the town to be recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.
But to truly understand why and how this settlement was formed, we must venture back to colonial Colombia and tell a story of survival.
Forging a New Land
The slave trade that would swallow the New World made its inevitable arrival on pre-Colombian shores in 1533. The coastal city of Cartagena would quickly become a key strategic port for transporting enslaved people across South America.
Benkos Biohó was a prince from the Bissagos Islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. The prince was one of the 1 million people captured from West Africa and transported to Cartagena’s slave port.
After one failed attempt at fleeing captors, he eventually made his escape with ten others. Navigating through the swamps of south Cartagena, he conquered the surrounding area and established the Palenque settlement.
Forming an army of fugitive Africans, he developed an intelligence network that helped navigate those seeking freedom toward the liberated land.
Although a peace treaty was formed between Palenque and the Spaniards in 1612, the Spanish would violate the agreement just seven years later. Biohó was captured in Cartagena and subsequently martyred when the Spanish killed him in 1621.
Governor García Giró stated, “it was dangerous the extent to which Biohó was respected in the population” and gave the excuse that he would influence slave rebellions.
Today Benkos Biohó, or ‘King of Arcabuco,’ is immortalized with an emotive sculpture in the town center. Here he is depicted breaking from his chains and grasping for freedom.
Creating a Palenquero Society
Biohó wasn’t alive to see the town become free. The years of violence that followed his death finally ended with the Spanish Crown issuing a royal decree in 1713. This officially freed the enslaved people of Palenque and made the settlement the first free slave town in the Americas.
However, the events surrounding Biohó’s capture (a trusted ally betrayed him) and the constant attempts by the Spanish to attack the settlement bread a distrust of the government. The sentiment is still felt to this day.
So, for many years after, Palenque experienced a relatively isolated existence. It was detached from the political and economic goings-on of the rest of the country. They instead formed a small-scale economy based on agriculture and farming.
However, the lack of government interference is made glaringly obvious. Residents still don’t have water treatment systems; they instead take water from the well. But for locals, it’s a small price to pay for autonomy.
Today, the town has its own governing body called ‘Ma Kankamaná.’ This community council is the ultimate administrative authority dedicated to improving life for its inhabitants.
These Palenquero representatives carry out all the town’s political decisions, with tradition, culture, and core values always at the forefront of their commitment.
It was also crucial for the town to maintain its police system to protect and respect its traditional laws. Today ‘Guardia Cimarrona’ safeguards Palenque ancestry and acts as a defense of the territory, thereby ensuring that their community council can retain autonomy.
Preservation of Tradition
The excellent preservation of oral and cultural traditions over hundreds of years is one of the most exciting characteristics of the town.
The West Africans that first ventured through the swamps of Cartagena in the most daring bid for freedom and life left their descendants a gift. The gift of language, but more incredibly, their mother tongue.
Today Palenqueros speak the only Spanish-Bantu language in the world!
Palenquero dialect is a fusion of the Kikongo language of Angola and Congo and Spanish and Portuguese vocabulary from the colonial period. It’s spoken by roughly half of the town’s 4000 inhabitants.
Some written words are similar to Spanish when spoken aloud. However it’s still incomprehensible to Spanish speakers of neighboring Colombian villages.
The town boasts other distinctive heritages that have stood the test of time. For example, the West African funeral tradition lumbalú is still a fundamental part of Palenque culture and has been studied by anthropologists for decades.
It was even recognized as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.S
Palenque and the Arts
Palenque’s contribution to the arts is a significant part of Colombia’s cultural legacy. The town is home to some of the country’s finest musicians, actors, and sportspeople.
Boxing icon Antonio Cervantes, aka Kid Pambelé, is a two-time world junior welterweight champion and the pride of the town.
Famed performer and Palenquero Evaristo Márquez rose to notoriety acting alongside Marlon Brando in the film Burn!
But we can’t speak about the town without acknowledging its outstanding contribution to music. Champeta is almost synonymous with San Basilio de Palenque. The genre’s upbeat tempo and infectious drums were first heard on the streets of Palenque in the 1980s.
Following the right of passage for almost every popular black musical genre, it was first condemned by the mainstream music scene before erupting in popularity in the 2000s.
The word ‘Champeta’ was originally used as an ethnic identifier for Afro-Colombians. However, the creation of this experimental sound helped birth a new collective identity among Afro-Colombians, forging a movement of unity. Palenquero musicians like Charles King, Louis Towers, and Rafael Cassiani Cassiani were at the forefront of this movement.
The annual Festival de Tambores y Expresiones Culturales celebrates this rich musical heritage with live performances, dancing, and traditional food. Taking place in the town square, it’s one of Colombia’s most significant cultural festivals.
Visiting San Basilio de Palenque
You can find Palenqueras selling fruit, snacks, and souvenirs in Cartagena’s main square. However few know of the extraordinary history and heritage of the town they hail from.
Cultural tours led by locals leave from Cartagena daily and are the perfect way to discover all the gems San Basilio de Palenque has to offer.
Here you can experience a traditional dance show, Palenque cuisine, and the opportunity to support some local businesses, all while standing on historic soil.
