The Barranquilla Carnival: Colombia's African Beat

In this episode of The History of Colombia, Lucas and Luna step away from the battlefields and cartels to trace the rhythms of the Barranquilla Carnival — the second-largest carnival in the world. They explore how African, Indigenous, and European traditions fused into a celebration that survived wars, dictatorships, and modernization. From the Congo legacies of the marimonda and the negritas puloy to the cumbia's roots in enslaved communities and the palenques, they uncover the carnival's role as a site of resistance and cultural preservation. Along the way, they meet the legendary Esthercita Forero, the 'Novia de Barranquilla,' and the folklorist Delia Zapata Olivella, and they decode the symbolism of the moño y carrizo and the disfraz de marimonda. They also touch on the carnival's darker chapters, including its near-cancellation during the Thousand-Day War and its complicated relationship with the government and the Church. This is a story of survival, joy, and identity — a vibrant thread in Colombia's complex history.

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