Abstract

MENESES COPETE, Yeison Arcadio. Alabaos and Currulaos: Resignification of Afro-Pacific Cultural and Identity Practices in the Framework of the Armed Conflict. Investig. desarro. [online]. 2022, vol.30, n.1, pp.374-407.  Epub June 07, 2022. ISSN 0121-3261.  https://doi.org/10.14482/indes.30.1.305.8.

This paper presents a critical review about resignification of two identitarian, literary, and cultural practices, alabaos and currulaos, faces of the sung word, in the framework of the armed conflict that has disproportionally impacted Afro-Colombian communities. Method: the research follows the perspective of what I call the hermeneutics of return, a critical interpretive perspective on the historical presence of Afro communities in the perspective of decolonization. First, it introduces a discussion regarding the literary character of these Afro-Colombian creations. Then, these cultural practices are contextualized as agencies of Afro ethno-racial and cultural identity. After that, I focus on the recognition of the armed conflict effects in the territories, considering careful reading and listening of some lyrics, particularly three currulao songs of the following groups: Rancho Aparte, Esteban Copete y su Kinteto, Canalón de Timbiquí, and Herencia de Timbiquí. Furthermore, some alabaos from the album Voces de resistencia will be analyzed in terms of the transformations this cultural practice suffered in the middle of the war experiences. This album was interpreted by Las Cantaoras de Pogue and sponsored by ICESI University and the Ford Foundation. In conclusion, Ipretend, through this article, to visualize the reinvention capacity of communities to transform these cultural practices into memory, sensibilizing, denouncing, and mental healing tools.

Keywords : alabaos; currulaos; culturalpractice; pacifican culture; memory; and armed conflict.

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