Palo Congos Bantu – Dance

Palo (the Regla de Palo Monte, also Mayombe) is an Afro-Cuban religion that goes back to the cults of the kingdom of Kongo and other Bantu kingdoms. Its centre is the nganga, the sacred cauldron.

Branches

According to Wikipedia, the main branches (ramas) are Mayombe, Briyumba, Monte and Kimbisa. EcuRed calls Mayombe the first form; with the initiation of Cuban-born believers, Kimbisa and Brillumba arose later, and in the 19th century the Kimbisa del Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje of Andrés Facundo de los Dolores Petit.

Practitioners

  • Tata nganga and yayi nganga: the "father" and "mother" of a house; the Tata nganga may initiate (rayamiento).
  • Paleros and paleras: the believers; also mayomberos or nganguleros ("those who work a nganga").

The nganga

According to EcuRed, the nganga, also prenda or caldero, is a clay pot or iron cauldron containing earth from different places, bones, sticks, herbs and a stone (matari). It is seen as a pact between life and death: the soul of a dead person works for the initiate, who feeds it with liquor, tobacco smoke and candles.

Beliefs

  • Nature: plants, water and earth are seen as animated; the ancestors are represented by water.
  • The dead: the cult of the dead is central.
  • God and spirits: God is called Sambi or Nsambi. The higher spirits are called mpungu.
  • Language: ceremonies are spoken and sung in Kikongo mixed with Spanish; the songs are called mambos.

Mpungu and their counterparts

Wikipedia lists among the most prominent mpungu Lucero, Sarabanda, Siete Rayos, Ma' Kalunga, Mama Chola, Centella Ndoki and Tiembla Tierra. Known correspondences:

  • Lucero (Lucero Mundo) = Elegguá (EcuRed)
  • Sarabanda = Oggún, and Saint Peter (Wikipedia)
  • Lufo Kuyo = Ochosi, and Saint Norbert (Wikipedia)
  • Madre de Agua = Yemayá (EcuRed)
  • Centella = Oyá (EcuRed)

Music and dance

The main drums in Palo are tumbadoras, unlike the batá of santería; when these are not available, plywood boxes are sometimes used. The tempo differs per branch: Mayombe and Briyumba are faster than Monte or Kimbisa. Palo dances have a striking element of pantomime, and dancers may work themselves into an "absolute frenzy". In the garabato style, dancers strike sticks, usually of guava wood, against each other. Palo rhythms, with their steps, are also heard at the cajón al muerto.

📝 Sources