Archives

Carlos Chavarria Devil’s Mask

In this excerpt, Chavarría discusses the ways in which the Devil’s mask initially captured his attention and the double perspective/participant-observer position that it provides.

Carlos Chavarria Changes to the Major Devil

In this excerpt, Chavarría discusses the ways in which the Major Devil character has changed over his lifetime. He focuses particularly on his choice to follow his mentor’s example by wearing a smaller mask and discusses the value of smaller masks in relationship to the value of larger ones, which many younger devils choose to wear.

Celedonio Molinar Three Major Devils

In this excerpt, Molinar discusses the current existence of three people who play the role of Major Devil in the Congo tradition even though the official narrative about the tradition only signifies one Major Devil character playing at any one time.

Celedonio Molinar The Pujido

In this excerpt, Molinar explains the “pujido,” a sound that the devils within the Congo tradition of Panama make that is a part of their embodiment of the character. The literal translation of the word is “grunt,” but the effect is more than that. The sound amplifies internal energy and is done in response to both internal desires and external stimuli.

Raul Orlando Jimenez Delgado The Pujido

In this excerpt, Jiménez describes the “pujido”/”grunt” that the devil character uses to build internal energy and externalize it. He then discusses his interpretation of its relationship to the occult and a potential existential compromise.