Palenque: A language lives on with the help of music in Colombia

On Colombia's northwest coast you'll find a village settled by African slaves hundreds of years ago. Today, much of their original language remains in a Spanish dialect known as Palenquero - a dialect only a few thousand understand. It's woven into its well-known musical traditions.
Edwin Valdez is making sure centuries of music and African culture live on. Valdez is a native of the town Palenque. He is also the director of a school called “Batata” that teaches the music and dance of his hometown.
The people of Palenque are also talented chefs. In 2014 their cookbook was named "Best Cookbook in the World" at the Gourmand World Awards in China.
Take a look at this week’s Urban Voice on “Americas Now,” Edwin Valdez, produced with the help of Colombia’s Ministry of Culture.

[@creacrea9759]

Black people from Palenque Colombia keep their spirit ,soul ,culture,and way of life from Africa alive,

[@bayungakialeukastudio1765]

They are descendants of the Bakongo people of the Kongo Kingdom.

[@fastingislife3766]

Chucc Murray we are the Israelites that were scattered throughout the earth. Even the native Americans are our long lost brothers who migrated here thousands of years ago Read Deuteronomy 28:15-68 Joel 3

[@jesusisjerryallahistom]

@@fastingislife3766 keep away from the israelies, you are african not israelies. stop dividing african people.

[@VesselOfYAH]

@@bayungakialeukastudio1765 this is correct

[@VesselOfYAH]

@@fastingislife3766 native Americans are hamitics

[@lunaaaron8969]

Luna from USA Beautiful people Brother and sister we love guys

[@reneroux2391]

Beautiful

[@anthonywest4173]

PROUD AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.

[@JulianGutie]

They speak their own language named Creole Palenquero and it’s a mix between Spanish, Portuguese and Bantus languages…they are bilingual and many of them speak Spanish with African accent. They speak Creole between them or for documentaries.

[@makeithappen4021]

it’s looks so much like guinea bissau

[@dubonett8239]

I wish I could dance like that 🥰

[@LCC2791]

Viva Africa! Viva Palenque!

[@melissasmaatstaf7308]

Also in my country we have this same village by runaway slaves. Can you come to Suriname because the world know little about my country .

[@VesselOfYAH]

What country is that

[@santiagonicolaslopezbravo2624]

@@VesselOfYAH Suriname is an ex-colony of the Netherlands is South America, next to Gyana and France.

[@goldbluetears]

what is the name of the village

[@melissasmaatstaf7308]

A country in south Ameria

[@Divinatonio]

Hey girl what's the name of the village?

[@Djibril1156Sow]

Benkos Bioho, un Bissau guineano y colombiano. Muchas coisitas liembran las aldeias Biohos en Guinea-Bissau. Viva África!

[@mbjay1994]

I love seeing this beautiful city! ❤️❤️❤️

[@benabiamo4935]

This is KONGO, KONGO, KONGO one day KONGO will unite us ,we love you so much.

[@rocker6411]

Asi Es! We Love RDC!

[@antoniovanda2]

@@rocker6411 80% do antigo Reino do Kongo está em Angola, e 20% na RDC. A capital do reino, Mbanza Kongo, os reis, principes eram Angolanos. Todo historia escrita sobre o Reino do Kongo aconteceu em Angola. O idioma oficial do Reino do Kongo era Kikongo e Portugues, como em Angola, e não Lingala e Francés, como na RDC.

[@rocker6411]

@@antoniovanda2 Angola! Land We Love!!

[@mikailm6934]

@@antoniovanda2 don't forget Congo Brazzaville and even some part of Gabon at one point

[@blessed_lana6965]

@@antoniovanda2 Portuguese and French came through colonialism later on. And no Kongo Kingdom was not only in Angola nor majority Kongo Kingdom is the 2 Congos, Gabon and Angola. Don't try to make it look like you are more legit.

[@proudpolishherbsman2583]

Saludos desde Polonia amigos!

[@PrincePaulIowa]

At 5:38 Its my kinda dance 💃 👍👏👏👏w/love from 🇹🇿! Shukran, Gracias..

[@miskellaneousK]

It's like I'm watching a village in Africa 🙊

[@stayalert7060]

🇨🇩🇦🇴🇨🇬❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇨🇴 BAKONGO!!!

[@sloppygirlz]

Beautiful ❤

[@amarusheekuku1162]

This is like another country inside Colombia. They are very proud of their african roots. *I wonder if the Colombian government recognizes their palenguero language?!?*

[@fastingislife3766]

Amaru sheekuku we are the Israelites that were scattered throughout the earth. Even the native Americans are our long lost brothers who migrated here thousands of years ago Read Deuteronomy 28:15-68 Joel 3

[@amarusheekuku1162]

@@fastingislife3766 will do. But, I'm Haitian. ...am I one?????

[@fastingislife3766]

Amaru sheekuku Yes. I’m originally from Zaire (now DR Congo). I’m living in the USA and I discovered our true history that was forgotten. The Bible is our story Read the book of Joel 3

[@TheLifeofKam99]

Fasting Is Life Black people are not Israelites. There’s no evidence or proof just bs propaganda. There is no such thing as a chosen people. Black People are African, we come from Africa and we are proud.

[@fastingislife3766]

Kamau Miller what is an African? Africa is a Latin name given to the continent 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

[@gerardosantiago2247]

Muy bonito e importante conservator su cultural

[@kwameasimah]

The drum is the same here

[@Mirrorseb]

Where?

[@kwameasimah]

Sebespejo: in Ghana 🇬🇭 west Africa

[@elizabethramirezespinosa4370]

Si, la mayoría de instrumentos son de nuestros ancestros africanos secuestrados de la costa izquierda de África, hay muchos más instrumentos que se preservan en Colombia, el Chocó 💛💛💙💙💚💚, Quibdó y la región negra del Pacifico. Saludos

[@RaphaelAshanti]

Qam Yasharahla!

[@magnolia5333]

Orgullosa ❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰👌

[@ceressustainability2189]

much bieng

[@kikiokiki6788]

as a non spanish speaker my question is: when the colombian guy is speaking what sounds just like spanish, is that palenquero?

[@camilogonz9062]

No, it is not Palenquero Creole

[@gusrod9915]

Darren Buchanan indeed, he was speaking in Spanish, but as far as I know they're bilingual because they are taught in Palenque and Spanish at school. I'm not entirely sure because despite I'm Colombian I don't know there culture very well.

[@8_bitbuttercup169]

Isn't Palenquero a Spanish based creole?

[@protocol13]

Palenque language is a mix of Spanish, Portuguese and African languages.

[@lirisdelvalletorres7663]

@@protocol13 hablan español ,pero su idioma es mezclado de francés ,holandés inglés y dialecto africanos

[@solmada1]

¡ COCO WEY

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

Palenque music has a lot in common with Celtic Punk. I say that because its main purpose was to preserve the cultural identity of an oppressed people while aggressively rejecting a greater power. The Irish did it by playing punk rock on Celtic folk instruments while these people are doing it by playing rap & reggae on African folk instruments.

[@elizabethramirezespinosa4370]

😂😂😂😂

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

@@elizabethramirezespinosa4370 what's so funny?

[@elizabethramirezespinosa4370]

@@marvinthemaniac7698 Solo influencia africana, solo Africa, nadie mas

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

@@elizabethramirezespinosa4370 Soy consciente de que esta música tiene raíces estrictamente africanas, simplemente la estaba comparando con la música de una cultura diferente cuya gente también estaba oprimida por un poder mayor.

[@elizabethramirezespinosa4370]

@@marvinthemaniac7698

[@johnchristiancanda3320]

Palenquero is to Colombia what Chabacano is to the Philippines.

[@solmada1]

COCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@solmada1]

COCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@unborondolopez5901]

Que duces ??

[@solmada1]

COCO

[@sakpase7545]

I hope they not racist as the Dominican

[@chinchanchou]

In all country are racism un HISPANO have castas colonial

[@MrTheFSXFAN]

@Pastion Pastion no root ? explain your self.

[@MrTheFSXFAN]

what makes you think dominicans are racist ? have you been there, have entered their black towns and the kindness of their people ?

[@MrTheFSXFAN]

@Pastion Pastion not because you had personal problems with them that it means they are all necesseraly racist. Dominican republic's people are most as black as haitians, is there discrimination ? maybe, it doesnt make them all racist. You argument sounds as if a colombian citizen was saying "venezuelians are racists" or the opposite there is racism among some people, but not all. Your statement is as dangerous as what you are denouncing.

[@MrTheFSXFAN]

@Venu337 why ? do you have some documents or statistics to proove that "dominican people are racists" ?

[@nicopsico]

El Secuetro de españoles!!!!!!??????? LOS ESPAÑOLES NUNCA HA TRAFICADO CON SERES HUMANOS!!!!!!!! QUIENES TRAGERON LOS AFRICANOS A AMÉRICA FUERAN LOS PORTUGUESES!!!!, LOS INGLESES, LOS HOLANDESES, Y LOS FRANCESES!!!!! HAY QUE ESTUDIAR MÁS HISTORIA!!!!!!!!

[@kiesmartinez7462]

Claro, porque el sistema de castas y la imposición de la esclavitud se hicieron solos. Quizá los españoles no fueron cruciales en el genocidio q fue el tráfico humano transatlántico, pero ellos generaban una demanda, y seguían tratando a todas estas personas de forma inhumana. No entiendo q busca usted con este comentario, si lamerle las botas a los españoles o defender lo indefendible

[@erickvega1436]

Jajajaj donde aprendiste esooo,claro que secuestraron su libertad por más 200 años