Pangea Country Guide to Panama - Cultural Diversity, Salsa, Ruben Blades

Impressive Range of Natural Attractions: Panama encompasses an impressive range of natural attractions and a unique cultural diversity. The country offers everything from Caribbean islands with white, palm-studded beaches, to misty cloud forests, lush jungle, and mangrove swamps. About the size of Austria with a population of merely 3 million people, Panama comprises 2,800 km (1,740 miles) of coast line and more than 1,500 tropical islands. Thanks to its special geographic position as the land bridge between North and South America, Panama ’s plant and animal life is more diverse than almost anywhere else on earth. Panama’s Darién jungle, for instance, is the largest tropical rain forest in the Western Hemisphere outside the Amazon Basin . The highest mountain of the "Cordillera Central" (Central Mountains) is the Volcano Barú (3,475 m/11,400 ft high).

Tropical climate: The climate is generally tropical with daily temperatures of approximately 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and abundant rainfall in the raining season between May and December. Most of the country experiences a definitive dry and wet season, but some regions are exposed to different climatic patterns that are often a result of their altitude and proximity to the ocean. In Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side, for instance, it will rain more and during different months than in the much dryer Peninsula de Azuero. And in Boquete you can experience a drizzle locally known as "Bajareque" which often coincides with rainbows across the valley that can last for hours.

Unparalleled cultural diversity: Panama exhibits an unparalleled cultural diversity with indigenous groups and communities of African and European descent preserving their own cultural traditions and customs. About 10% of the population are indigenous Indians comprising seven different tribes of which five enjoy semi-autonomous status (Comarcas): Kuna, Ngöbe-Buglé, Emberá, Wounaan (Choclé), Bokotá, Bri-Bri and Teribe (Nazo). The construction of the Canal brought large numbers of people from the West Indies, China, and later also from India and other parts of the world to Panama. Most of these later immigrants stayed and many of them inter-married with the original population. Spanish is the official language, but several other indigenous languages are also spoken. On the Caribbean side, where many Afro-Antillean people settled, English or Guari-guari (a Creole language that combines English, Spanish and Guaymí) is widely used. The population of Panama is almost entirely Catholic, although the Catholic Church is losing more and more members to the Pentecostal movements.

Different Indigenous Groups

Kuna: Of Panama’s seven indigenous groups the group of about 60,000 Kuna who mainly live on the Archipelago de Kuna Yala (also called San Blas) are best known to tourists. The Kuna inhabit an area on the Caribbean coast that consists of over 360 islands. They are a fascinating native group which has managed to retain its cultural identity and traditions until today. After their so-called “Tule Revolution” in 1925 they obtained a semi-autonomous status within Panama, and they still fiercely defend their breathtaking jungle coastline and tropical islands against outside exploitation.

Emberá and Wounáan: The Emberá and Wounáan, formerly known as Chocó (as they originally came from the Colombian province of Chocó) mainly live in the remote Province of Darién close to the Colombian border. Some have also settled along the Chagres River in the Provinces of Colón and Panamá. With about 22,500 Emberá and about 7,000 Wounáan (2000 census) the Emberá-Wounáan are the third largest indigenous group in Panamá. Although their languages are different, their customs and traditions are very similar.

Ngöbe-Buglé: The Ngöbe-Buglé are comprised of two separate ethno-linguistic groups, the Ngöbe and the Bugle. They are the most numerous indigenous community in Panama with a population of about 170,000 Ngöbe and 17,000 Buglés and mainly live in the Provinces of Chriquí, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas. Their Comarca de Ngöbe-Buglé enjoys political autonomy to a certain degree. The Ngöbe-Buglé suffered most from colonisation when a major part of their territory was occupied by Europeans. Confrontation with the Spaniards and military and cultural repression destroyed much of their habitat and traditional economy based on self-subsistence farming. Today, many of the Ngöbe-Buglé work on big coffee, banana or sugar cane plantations under harsh economic conditions.

Teribe, Bokotá and Bri-Bri: The Teribe (about 3,300), the Bokotá (about 1,000) and the Bri-Bri (about 2,500) are three smaller indigenous groups. The Teribe inhabit the western part of the Province of Bocas del Toro, most of them along the River Teribe. The Bokotá live in small villages dispersed between the Provinces of Bocas del Toro and Veraguas while the small group of Bri-Bri inhabits the areas along the River Yorkín and Sixaola in the Province of Bocas del Toro close to the border with Costa Rica.

Societies in transition: Many of the indigenous populations face severe poverty and often malnourishment due to the transition from traditional self-subsistence farming to a modern money-based economy. In some areas infrastructure is poor or non-existent so that many places can only be reached by long hikes, boat or air. Yet, the influence of modern society has not passed those places by luring the young generation to Panama City in search for work and a better life which sometimes also attenuates generational conflicts. There is no industrial production in any form. Agricultural production is mainly aimed at personal consumption as it is not competitive on the national market. Poor agricultural technologies, the immigration of new settlers and illegal wood extraction accelerate deforestation and exacerbate already difficult living conditions. Nevertheless the semi-autonomy and self-government of indigenous groups within their limited Comarcas (there are 5 Comarcas in Panama today) is an important step towards sustainable development. A certain degree of self-determination also helps to enhance their self-esteem and cultural visibility within the country and among international tourists.

Music

Caribbean Music: Walking around in Panama City you will realize that music and dancing are an integral part of daily life in Panama. You encounter Salsa, Reggae, Calypso, Reggaton, Merengue, Vallenato, Bachata or Musica Típica virtually everywhere. The Caribbean mix of its population with strong African and Afro-Antillean influences helped to develop Panamas music scene which ranks among the best in Central America. Ruben Blades, one of the finest Salsa singers in the world was born and raised here. Panama, together with Puerto Rico, is the hotspot for Reggaeton. Calypso came from Jamaica and is still alive within the Afro-Antillean population of Bocas del Toro. Vallenato from Colombia, Merengue and Bachata from the Dominican Republic are played in almost every public bus, on the streets and in bars. And Musica Típica, the music style originally from Azuero and Chiriquí is popular with local stars like Samy & Sandra restlessly touring through the country. Last but not least, Danilo Perez, the country’s Jazz legend, once a year organises the “Panama Jazz Festival” in January, where world famous artists such as Steve Turre, Regina Carter, Mike Stern and Kenny Barron perform with local musicians.

Salsa singer Rubén Blades: But there is certainly one great Panamanian musician who needs to be highlighted: Rubén Blades, the famous Salsa singer, who became Panamanian tourism minister in 2004. He unsuccessfully ran for president in 1994, then withdraw from politics which heavily disappointed his electorate, before he had his comeback in 2004 when Martín Torrijos won the last presidential elections. Ruben Blades influenced salsa music with modern-minded arrangements and his highly literate, politically tinged lyrics that are known as “Salsa conciente” (Conscious Salsa). Raised in a middle-class neighbourhood in Panama City, he provided a musical voice for the lower and middle class of Central America. “Pedro Navaja” is one of his famous tunes that most Salsa lovers know by heart. In recent years Blades mixed Latin American sounds with such diverse influences as Gypsy, Celtic and Middle Eastern rhythms and his work “Mundo” was awarded a Grammy for best world music album of the year.