Blog Pacific Region

CURIOUS VIDEOS

Colombia is second only to Sudan in terms of its number of internally displaced people, with between two and four million internal refugees caught in the country's political riptides and often left to languish in slums and shanty towns. But in Cali, Colombia's third largest city, one group of women is forging a new path. The women are striving not only to fend for themselves, but to move beyond core survival and to express their new reality through their performance the theatre group 'Birds of Paradise'.

COLOMBIAN PACIFIC INFORMATION

The Pacific coast, is in western Colombia

The Colombian Pacific coast is made up of 4 states (departamentos). The most Northern state is Choco:  

To the south is Valle del Cauca:

South of Valle is Cauca:

South of Cauca, the most southern state is Nariño Which is bordered by Ecuador

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

In the Colombian Pacific region they inhabit different indigenous communities, for example:

The Guambiano Indians

Approximately 20,000 Guambiano Indians still live in Colombia, most of them live within a short distance from Silvia. The name of the Guambiano Indians comes from a bag called a guambia, a traditional bag used by Guambiano women to carry around weaving supplies. Guambiano women are renowned for their weaving skills and their woven wares are a principal source of income for the community.

Guambianos still live a very traditional life, especially their traditional clothing. Men and women wear finely woven ruanas , a type of Colombian poncho. The females accessorise with chaquiras, necklaces and wristbands made out of small colourful beads.

The Guambianos are self-sufficient and grow all their produce on the local terraced hillsides. The market is a vital trading day for the community as commodities can be sold and traded for other commodities.

The Awá Indians

The Awá (or Kwaiker, a name given to them by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries) traditionally inhabit the regions of northern Ecuador and southern Colombia.

In Colombia, the Awa population is frequently targeted by paramilitary groups and the government's own military forces. In the past two years, there have been at least five Awa Massacres. According to the United Nations, the Awa are currently facing extinction, along with 33 other Indigenous Peoples in Colombia.

The Cañamomo Indians

The name of this group is not properly belongs to an ethnic group, since there is no self-designation or about ethnographic records. It has been given this name by appealing to the name of the receipt of colonial origin. They are living on the left bank of the Cauca River and Supía municipalities of Riosucio, Department of Caldas. Cañamomo includes receipts and Lomaprieta and San Lorenzo, with a combined population of 26,083 inhabitants.

Cañamomo community and has nineteen Lomaprieta paths among which include Iberia, political center of the guard, Sipirra, Portachuelo, Panesso and Cañamomo. The receipt of San Lorenzo is located on the right bank of the road connecting the head of lmunicipio Supía with Riosucio. It has the following paths: Pasmi, Veneros, Tunzará, San Jose, Costa Rica, Piedras, Honduras, Llano Grande, Aguas Claras, Blandon, Sipirra, Lomitas, The Danube, La Pradera, Buenos Aires, La Plata and San Jeronimo inspections and San Lorenzo.

Do not retain their native language, however, the inhabitants of San Lorenzo, according to Jorge Franco story in his Hildebrando, for the year 1949 had a cacique Quirama named Ramon, who speak their own language with other natives of this community.

The Embera Indians

The , people live in small villages of 5 to 20 houses along the banks of the rivers throughout the Chucunaque/Tuira/Balsas River watersheds in the Darien Province of Panama. There are generally three villages on each tributary that branches off from the main river system. Each village is about a half day's walk apart. The villages are built on a small rise, set approximately 100 feet in from the river. The houses of the village are set about 20–50 feet apart atop the rise on posts, with no walls, but tall thatched roofs. Around each village, the jungle is partly cleared and replaced by banana and plantain plantations, a commercial crop for the Embera, who sell them to get cash for their outboard motors, mosquito nets, and the like. The hills leading down to the river from the villages are usually hard packed reddish clay. There are sometimes large boulders being played on by naked children. Dugout canoes are usually seen pulled up on the riverbanks.

Zona Franca del Pacífico 2013- English version

POPULAR MUSIC

Heavily influenced by the music of Africa, currulao is played with folk instruments such as the marimba de chonta, the guasá (a hollow cylinder filled with light seeds) and the cununo drum. A lead singer voices the main melody and an answering choir responds [source: Jaramillo]. As with bambuco and cumbia, currulao is a style of dance, as well as a style of music.

Musical Rhythms of the Pacific Coast Region of Colombia

AGUABAJO:  Traditional songs of Choco department, sung by its inhabitants when they navigate the rivers of the Baudó region. It consists of a kind of intertwined play between women and men. 

BUNDE:  Musical tune from the Pacific seaboard.  It is of African origin and its name comes from the word “wunde” from Sierra Leone.  It also exists in Andean folklore with a mixture of rhythms such as structured guabina, torbellino and bambuco. The best known is the bunde tolimense composed by A. Castilla. 

CONTRADANZA:  It is a popular dance of the south region of the Pacific coast.  It is used in dance shows to illustrate a typical national dance, as a result of the striking colours of the costumes, its elegance and the mobility of the dancers

CURRULAO:  It is the best-known rhythm from the folklore of the Pacific region.   It consists of dancing and singing, accompanied by music played typically with instruments such as the native marimba, the conunos, the bass drum, the side drum and the cuatro guasas or tubular rattle.  It has two varieties: thejuga and the bereju. 

MAKERULE:  Music of Choco folklore.  It resembles an Andean dance.  The slowness of the dance shows its noble ancestry.  Some people from the region say that its name came from the surname, "Mac Duller ", a man who had a bakery in the town of Andagoya, department of Choco.

http://www.colombia-sa.com/musica/musica-in.html

DESTINATIONS IN THE REGION

The Pacific coast is also the ideal place for nature fanatics because of the variety of wildlife and the possibility on seeing dolphins and whales swimming on a stone’s throw distance from the beach

There is also good for nautical sports like diving and surfing, ecologic walks and relaxing at the beautiful virgin beaches along the coast.  

And off course take salsa classes in Cali.

Where to go........

There are many places to visit in these region, these are some of the highlights:

Cities and towns:

CALI

Cali’s cheerful nature is manifested in salsa, a Caribbean rhythm that is danced here among the sugarcane in its own unique way. In this city, nicknamed "Branch of Heaven,” the peaks of Cristo Rey, the hill of the Three Crosses, and the hills of San Antonio jut upwards from the plains that make up most of Valle del Cauca.   


WHAT TO DO IN CALI


Cali, founded in 1536, can be explored on foot: walk under the shade of trees along the riverbank, admire the architecture of churches and other national monuments, and visit the city’s many museums. In Cali, travelers can enjoy music festivals, learn about sugarcane farming, and take in the mountainous landscapes.  

POPAYÁN

A sense of peace envelops those who walk the streets of Popayán, with its elegant white churches and residences. Founded in 1537 by Sebastian de Belalcázar, the capital of Cauca is one of the most important religious centers in Colombia. From this city, known for its excellent cuisine, you can visit nearby mountains, valleys, and lakes.

WHAT TO DO IN POPAYÁN

Popayán’s historical and cultural richness is reflected in its buildings, especially during Holy Week when tradition plays an important role. The department is populated by the Nasa, Embera, and Guambia indigenous communities, among others, and offers visitors spas with relaxing hot springs.

CHOCÓ

The richness of Chocó’s landscape, undisturbed by humans, can be overwhelming. This is the only department of Colombia that is lapped by the waves of two oceans: the Pacific and the Caribbean. Rivers abound here, as do National Parks: Utría, Los Katíos, and Tatamá are all located here. Chocó, founded in 1947, is known for its dark sand beaches.


WHAT TO DO IN CHOCÓ


The jungle is the unique backdrop of many experiences in Chocó; it entirely surrounds the beach and seems to want to extend into the ocean. Visitors should make time for bird watching, seeing humpback whales from Antarctica frolic in the water, walking on the beach, and swimming in waterfalls near the waves.

NARIÑO 

The department of Nariño, where the Nudo de los Pastos (Knot of the Pastos) divides the Andes in three parts in Southern Colombia, is filled with hundreds of small plots cultivated with different produce, creating a dazzling green landscape. From Pasto, the capital, you can travel to lagoons, volcanoes, moors, warm valleys, and tropical beaches.

WHAT TO DO IN PASTO


The department of Nariño’s natural wealth is huge. It contains every thermal zone, and ranges in altitude from 6.5 feet to 3 miles above sea level. Visitors can walk through cloud forests, rivers, and waterfalls, and enjoy nature reserves and National Parks. You will also find unique crafts and have the opportunity to experience a festival that celebrates diversity by uniting people of different races.

Natural Parks:

Utria National Park

Gorgona Island Natural Park

Malpelo Natural park

Isla de la Corota in the Laguna de Cocha

Purace National Park.

Beaches:

Nuquí and Bahía Solano

When to go.........

Any time of the year is good to visit this region. However, if you want to see the humpback whales the right time is from July to September.

If you also want to learn more about the traditions and culture of this region a good opportunity is during some of their most popular carnivals, like:

January: The Blacks and Whites Carnival, held in Pasto. It is a great festival where people get painted of black and white. It was originated during the Spanish rule, when the slaves were allowed to celebrate and their masters joined in the festivities by painting their faces black.

December: The Cali Fair. This is a cultural festival where food, music, dancing and other cultural activities are shown.