Carnaval Traditions in Panama

I do not think that US culture has carried on many traditions.  Of course the US is made up of many cultures, and those groups do maintain traditions.  But for this white girl from Ohio, the most traditional thing I am used to participating in is singing Carmen Ohio at the end of every Ohio State football game.  (Yes, I do consider Ohio State alumni and fans a sub-culture.)  So I think this lack of personal experience with cultural traditions carried on through generations is what made Carnaval in Ocú a special experience for me.  The music, the dance, the chanting, the costumes, the rivalry… I watched in awe.  And I asked a million questions of my new Panamanian friends.  In this post, I hope to give you a glimpse of the excitement and energy I felt at Carnaval and maybe even inspire you to experience the traditions for yourself somewhere in the world next year.

The Rivalry

What would a multi-day party be without a good-natured rivalry?  In each town in Panama that celebrates Carnaval, there are two separate “parties,” Calle Abajo and Calle Arriba.  Each has their own princesses, a different one each day, and each has one queen for the entirety of Carnaval.  In the case of Las Tablas, a beach town in Panama, the rivalry is so intense that people on each side do not speak to each other for the whole year.  In Ocú and most areas of Panama, the rivalry has decreased over the years.  What is different about Ocú’s is that they also have Calle del Centro, which is the party I participated in.  Calle del Centro has a princess every day, but they do not have a queen.   And what really impressed me is that the Calle del Centro princess was not a 20-year-old beauty queen (like the one pictured here for Calle Arriba).  Most of the princesses for Calle del Centro were older, late 30s to maybe even up to 50s.  And these women could party.  They danced and sang all day.

The Murga

The murga is a traditional music played by the band.  Murga is heavy on the brass instruments and is similar to samba.  Calle Abajo, Calle Arriba, and in Ocú Calle del Centro each have their own band that accompanies the all-day party.  What makes Calle del Centro in Ocú so enjoyable is that it is a “roving party.”  Whereas Calle Abajo and Calle Arriba typically set up in the central park and stay in one spot all day, Calle del Centro goes to 5 different houses during the day from 10am until about 4pm.  The band marches with the group to each house, and they play the murga music to start off the festivities at each part stop.

The Tambor and Tamborito

A circle forms and the cantalante (aka chant leader), leads the tambor, which is a chant that is passed down through the generations of women.  The tambor is different every day, but the chant is always to the same rhythm.

Here is an example of a tambor I heard in Ocu:

Spanish: “Mi moreno no me quiere como antes me queria.”

Rough Translation:  “My lover does not love me like he used to.”

The tamborito is the traditional dance performed to the tambor.  When the circle forms and the rhythmic chant begins, a man and a woman dance in the middle.  This is started off by the princess, and then partners are switched out and others participate as well.

During all of this, a man and a woman are passing out alcohol to the crowd.  By tradition, only women are supposed to serve women and men serve men.  The tambor goes on for a long time, but it never gets boring and the volume never decreases and the dancing never stops.  The crowd is full of energy, and it is fun to watch and participate.  Words cannot fully describe the energy of the tabor and tamborito, so I will let this video do the talking.

The Costumes

Most people are probably familiar with the lavish costumes in the Carnaval parades in places like Rio de Janeiro.  Yes, I saw something similar in Ocú like the girl pictured here.

But there is more to the costume traditions in Panama.  Each town has a “tipico” day where women wear the traditional dresses called polleras and beautiful, ornate headpieces called tembleques to the night time festivities.  These dresses are made of very fine material, and they can cost $2000 because of the detailed work that goes into making them.

Check out all of my photos from Carnaval in Ocú.

Coming Soon…. more about carnaval and photos of panama city.

Click here to read the previous post 5 Things You Need for Carnaval.