Every year, in mid-November, the traditional Cartagena neighborhood of Getsemaní dresses in its best clothes and throws a party throughout the city. This is the Cabildo, a colorful and exciting carnival that honors the African heritage of the gestemanicenses and the struggles that his grandparents led for the independence of Colombia.
The protagonists of this celebration are the art, music, and dance of the Colombian Caribbean: a region with arms always open to receive and fill both locals and visitors with joy. Therefore, so that you are encouraged and dare to let yourself be infected by the spirit of the Cabildo, here we will tell you about the history of this festival, as well as the main events that you cannot miss when you come to Getsemaní.
an ancient party
The origin of the Cabildo dates back several centuries. Cartagena de Indias was founded on June 1, 1533 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Heredia, as a strategic point for maritime trade in the European Caribbean and the defense of Spanish sovereignty in the New World. Being a commercial axis of the colony, hundreds of slave ships passed through its ports, those in which people brought to America from West Africa were transported.
Thanks to this constant presence of slaves, African cultures ended up permeating the city in all its dimensions and, finally, they settled there permanently. However, we must not forget that they did not come to our continent under any kind of conditions: it was slavery, that is, they worked for their Spanish owners in a forced manner, without economic remuneration of any kind, and without breaks.
Due to this, and as a form of retribution or recognition for their incessant efforts, it was customary that, once a year, the masters allowed their slaves to take a day off outside the work space. This event was known as "the day of the freedmen", and it consisted of a large party in which all the slaves of the city gathered to dance, sing and celebrate.
According to tradition, the freedmen's festival had to coincide with the Catholic celebration of the Virgen de la Candelaria, on February 2. That day, from very early in the morning, the slaves borrowed elegant clothes from their masters and dressed in them in a parodic manner, imitating their manners and appearance as they paraded through the streets of Cartagena in the best style of the old European courts. It was, then, a cry for expression and freedom in the context of exploitation, through music, theatricality and the arts.
Birth of the Cabildo
Thus, during the time that the Spanish colony in Cartagena lasted, the day of the freedmen was celebrated annually in the month of February. Until independence came. From that moment on, it was decided that the city festivities would only be held in November, in honor of the liberation feat led by the Gethsemane people on November 11, 1811. In this way, the old “freedmen's day” was moved to the second Sunday of the month. This is how the celebration continued for a few more years, until, with the abolition of slavery in Colombia, the party came to an end.
But what never ended was the joyful spirit of the Gethsemane people, and their sense of pride in their African past. For this reason, almost 150 years later, a group of natives of the neighborhood decided to undertake the task of bringing back to life the ancient celebration of freedmen's day. This is how, in mid-1989, the birth of the Cabildo de Getsemaní was announced.
What is?
It is a parade made up of different “comparsas”: artistic groups that dress up around a certain theme, and that develop joint choreographies or group presentations. Each one of these groups is organized in floats or in groups of walkers, who go through the streets of the city exhibiting their artistic proposals and their costumes to the sound of music and dance.
When is?
The Cabildo takes place on the last Sunday of the Cartagena Independence Festival, that is, the second of November. It is the closing event of these festivities, and with it the popular celebrations of the city are concluded.
Where does it go?
Currently, the tour begins in the north of the city, in the Crespo neighborhood, and passes through Daniel Lemaitre, Torices, Marbella, crosses the Historic Center, until it reaches his home: Gethsemane.
Who takes part?
The Cabildo march is led by the standard-bearers, who carry the flags of Colombia, Cartagena, the neighborhood, and those of each of the comparsas. These people, in addition to carrying the banners, open the way for the Queen of the Cabildo, the highest figure and authority of the celebrations. After the Queen passes, it is the turn of the different dances of the Cabildo: the dances of the machetero, the garabato, the congo, and the mirror devils. These are followed by the different popular comparsas.
And finally, the true protagonists of the festival: the people of Gethsemane! In its essence, the Cabildo is a celebration of him, of the people of the neighborhood, the heirs of the struggles of Pedro Romero, and of the joy and culture that are the soul of its streets and squares.
Live the Cabildo de Getsemaní
However, no matter how much we tell you about the history and development of this great event, in the end the only way to get to know the Cabildo in all its grandeur is by experiencing it first hand. That is why our invitation is for you to come, explore Gethsemane, and join the party of its people. The colour, the music and the joy of the Gethsemane people will make you fall in love!
The school Nueva Lengua has its headquarters in Cartagena half a block from the central square of Gethsemane, so you will be able to learn more about this beautiful neighborhood while you learn Spanish with us. Our classes alternate with tourist activities, so that you can improve your Spanish grammar and spelling, while you get to know Colombian culture and art from the inside.
Check the plans that we have for you in Cartagena, or write to us at info@nuevalengua.com for more information about our Spanish courses and cultural immersion In colombia.
All the articles in this blog have been written by the teachers of our school and by students from different countries who traveled to Colombia to learn Spanish.
“You travel too and study Spanish in NUEVA LENGUA"
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