Use of images from the collections of the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center is strictly prohibited by law without prior written consent from the copyright holders. The responsibility for the use of these materials rests exclusively with the user. The Bradley Center may assist in obtaining copyright/licensing permission to use images from the Richard Cross collection. http://www.csun.edu/bradley-center/contact
Description
A group of young men and girls and boys stand on the street as they await their performance at the Carnaval de Barranquilla, celebrated in Colombia's Caribbean city of Barranquilla in Atlántico Department. Many are dressed in an elaborate costume and large flowered turban. The two men in the foreground each hold a wooden machete as part of their equipment during the performance. In the background of the image there are three houses along the street. They are all members of Congo Grande de Barranquilla (Big Congo of Barranquilla), a comparsa (dance troupe) founded in 1875 by Italo-Colombian arts dealer Joaquín Branchi. They are waiting to perform the "Danza del Congo" (Congo Dance), the most popular traditional dance of the Carnaval de Barranquilla and was brought to the city by the descendants of enslaved Africans who migrated there in search of opportunity. The dance is accompanied with music and dates back to the colonial era. It inspired by African warrior traditions and symbolizes the closeness of the dancers, mostly from the popular classes, to their ethnic roots and ancestral culture. It is also a symbol of the cultural triumph over Europeans. The costumes are very elaborate and their creation is the responsibility of each individual performer. Congo Grande de Barranquilla is an important institution in both the Carnival and in the community as entire families participate, from the youngest to the oldest members. Barranquilla was founded as a city and port in 1627 by the Spanish crown, and it is located on the western side of the Magdalena River in Atlántico Department along the Caribbean Sea coast. Since the 1930s, Barranquilla has served as the entry point for the thousands of immigrants who over time were added to the already existing Colombian human diversity, making Barranquilla in the most important port in Colombia and its most important economic center, having been designated in 1993 as a special industrial and port center. Barranquilla hosts the Carnaval de Barranquilla, Colombia’s most important cultural celebration and the second largest carnival after Brazil’s Río de Janeiro Carnival. The Carnaval de Barranquilla traces its origins to the 19th century but took on its modern form in 1903 from which it has evolved from a local cultural celebration into a spectacle of international fame that challenges the norms of Colombia’s society turnings its intimate social spaces and situation into something public and tolerated. The music, costumes, dances, colors and joy are the result of three centuries of resistance, conflict and domination where Indigenous, native to the Americas, European, and African cultures were fused into a unique one. Celebrated annually in that Caribbean city, the Carnaval de Barranquilla was declared Cultural Heritage of Colombia in 2001 by the Congress of the Republic. Following this, UNESCO declared it in 2003 a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Richard Cross took this photograph during his stay in Colombia as a volunteer for Peace Corps between 1977-1978. During this time, he worked with Colombian anthropologist Nina S. de Friedemann in an anthropological study of the community of San Basilio de Palenque, descendants of the Africans who escaped Spanish slavery and formed the first community of freed Africans in the Americas. While collecting field information, researchers examined the different manifestations of the carnival in different places throughout the Caribbean region. During this, it was discovered that Palenqueros organized themselves into comparsas (dance troupes) that participated in annual festivities in Cartagena and Barranquilla. Through these Palenque-based comparsas, researchers observed the vestiges of the cabildo, refuge of their beliefs, artifacts, languages, customs and African rituals, and of the cuagros, the basic unit of social organization in Palenque de San Basilio. Barranquilla was founded as a city and port in 1627 by the Spanish crown, and it is located on the western side of the Magdalena River in Atlántico Department along the Caribbean Sea coast. Since the 1930s, Barranquilla has served as the entry point for the thousands of immigrants who over time were added to the already existing Colombian human diversity, making Barranquilla in the most important port in Colombia and its most important economic center, having been designated in 1993 as a special industrial and port center. Barranquilla hosts the Carnaval de Barranquilla, Colombia’s most important cultural celebration and the second largest carnival after Brazil’s Río de Janeiro Carnival. The Carnaval de Barranquilla traces its origins to the 19th century but took on its modern form in 1903 from which it has evolved from a local cultural celebration into a spectacle of international fame that challenges the norms of Colombia’s society turnings its intimate social spaces and situation into something public and tolerated. The music, costumes, dances, colors and joy are the result of three centuries of resistance, conflict and domination where Indigenous, native to the Americas, European, and African cultures were fused into a unique one. Celebrated annually in that Caribbean city, the Carnaval de Barranquilla was declared Cultural Heritage of Colombia in 2001 by the Congress of the Republic. Following this, UNESCO declared it in 2003 a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Richard Cross took this photograph during his stay in Colombia as a volunteer for Peace Corps between 1977-1978. During this time, he worked with Colombian anthropologist Nina S. de Friedemann in an anthropological study of the community of San Basilio de Palenque, descendants of the Africans who escaped Spanish slavery and formed the first community of freed Africans in the Americas. While collecting field information, researchers examined the different manifestations of the carnival in different places throughout the Caribbean region. During this, it was discovered that Palenqueros organized themselves into comparsas (dance troupes) that participated in annual festivities in Cartagena and Barranquilla. Through these Palenque-based comparsas, researchers observed the vestiges of the cabildo, refuge of their beliefs, artifacts, languages, customs and African rituals, and of the cuagros, the basic unit of social organization in Palenque de San Basilio. Un grupo de muchachos y niños yacen parados sobre la calle mientras esperan realizar su presentación en el Carnaval de Barranquilla, celebrado en la ciudad caribeña de Barranquilla, ubicada en el departamento de Atlántico. Muchos están vestidos con su disfraz elaborado y turbante grande floreado. Al fondo de la imagen se observan tres casas a lo largo de la calle. Los dos hombres en el primer plano de la imagen sostienen cada uno un machete de madera como parte de su equipo durante la realización. Todos son miembros de Congo Grande de Barranquilla, una comparsa fundada en 1875 por Joaquín Branchi, un comerciante de artesanías italo-colombiano. Ellos esperan para realizar la danza del congo, el baile tradicional más popular del Carnaval de Barranquilla y fue traído a la entidad por los descendientes de los africanos esclavizados que migraron allá en busca de oportunidades. La danza es acompañada por música y data desde la era colonial. Es inspirada por las tradiciones de guerreros africanos y simboliza la cercanía de los danzantes, la mayoría de las clases populares, a sus raíces étnicas y cultura ancestral. La danza también es un símbolo del triunfo cultural sobre los europeos. Los disfraces son muy elaborados y su creación es la responsabilidad de cada danzante individual. El Congo Grande de Barranquilla es una institución importante del Carnaval y de la comunidad local pues familias enteras participan, desde los miembros más pequeños hasta los más ancianos. Barranquilla fue fundada como ciudad y puerto en 1627 por la corona Española y está ubicada sobre el costado occidental del río Magdalena en el departamento de Atlántico sobre la costa del Mar Caribe. Desde los años treinta, Barranquilla ha servido como el punto de entrada hacia el país a miles de inmigrantes que con el paso del tiempo se sumaron a la ya existente diversidad humana de Colombia, convirtiendo a Barranquilla en el segundo puerto más importante y principal centro económico del país, siendo designada en 1993 como distrito especial, industrial, y portuario. La ciudad de Barranquilla es sede del Carnaval de Barranquilla, la celebración cultural más importante de Colombia y el segundo carnaval más grande después del Carnaval de Río de Janeiro en Brasil. El Carnaval traza sus orígenes al siglo XIX pero tomó su forma moderna en 1903 de donde ha evolucionado de una celebración cultural y local a un espectáculo de fama mundial que reta las normas de la sociedad colombiana convirtiendo a espacios y situaciónes íntimas en algo público y tolerado. La música, los disfraces, las danzas, el color y la alegría es resultado de tres siglos de resistencia, conflicto, y dominación donde se fusionó a las culturas indígena, nativa de las Américas, la europea y la africana, formando una cultura única. Celebrado anualmente en esa entidad caribeña, el Carnaval de Barranquilla fue declarado en el año 2001 Patrimonio Cultural de Colombia por el Congreso de la República. Posteriormente, en el año 2003, la UNESCO lo declaró Patrimonio Oral e Inmaterial de la Humanidad. Richard Cross tomó esta fotografía durante su estancia en Colombia durante su tiempo como voluntario de la organización estadounidense Peace Corps entre los años 1977-1978 mientras trabajaba con la antropóloga colombiana Nina S. de Friedemann en la investigación antropológica de la comunidad de afro-colombianos de Palenque de San Basilio, descendientes de los africanos que escaparon la esclavitud para luego fundar la primera comunidad de africanos libertos en las Américas. La recolección de información en terreno llevo a los investigadores a emprender una examinación de las diferentes manifestaciones del carnaval en diversos lugares de la region caribeña. Durante esta actividad se descubrió que los palenqueros se organizaban en comparsas que participaban en las festividades de Cartagena y de Barranquilla. A través de estas comparsas palenqueras, se observaron los vestigios del cabildo, refugio de creencias, artefactos, idiomas, costumbres, y ritos africanos, y de los cuagros, unidad básica de organización social de Palenque de San Basilio.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
