In this excerpt, Maestro Andrés discusses the beauty of the Congo tradition, its relationship to the history of the town and other cultural practices associated with the town. This interview was recorded using a cassette tape. At this point in the recording, the tape appears to have sped up causing distortion.
Gustavo Esquina and Angelo Esquina discuss what they find unique about Barrio Fino and how they initiated their participation in the group.
Gustavo Esquina discusses the relationship between Barrio Fino and Congo carnival traditions.
Gustavo Esquina discusses Barrio Fino as the continuation of several cultural innovations that have been happening in Portobelo over the past decade.
Heraldo Eucebio De Hoyos, Abdiel Valdez, and Eric Blanquicet introduce themselves and talk about their relationship to the group as well as the town.
Heraldo Eucebio De Hoyos, Abdiel Valdez, and Eric Blanquicet discuss the meaning of the name “Comparsa Barrio Fino.”
Heraldo Eucebio De Hoyos and Abdiel Valdez discuss the number of members and types of instruments that make up the comparsa. Comparsa Barrio Fino is unique in that it incorporates the spectrum of instruments one would find in a Latin orchestra.
In this excerpt, Maestro Andrés describes the meaning of the Congo tradition and several of its major characters.
In this excerpt, Maestro Andrés discusses his participation in the tradition and the negative ways in which some members his parents’ generation, newer community members, and outsiders sometimes viewed the Congo tradition in the early twentieth century prior to the advent of “the road.”
In this excerpt, Maestro Andrés discusses his reasons for no longer participating in the Congo tradition and the changes he has seen in the tradition with the advent of “the road.”