< strong > At the rhythm of the congo drum they held the Fest of Mast and Dairy dances < / strong >

The District of Portobelo successfully held the thirteenth edition of the traditional and colorful show that offers the "Mask and Dairy Dance Festival," where the sound of drums, music, singing, masks and colorful dresses have been seized from the streets and from the central square where about twenty local groups from Colón and from the provinces of Panama, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas have been shown up with a display of masks and movements as a living tribute to the memory of their ancestors.

The festival gave space to the varied Afro-descendant cuisine and to the interiors that enchanted national and foreign visitors.

The event, with the presence of the Deputy Minister of Culture, Gabriel González and the General Manager of the Tourism Authority, Ivan Eskildsen, began with the pictorial exhibition "Nuru" of the artist Mayka "La Tigra" Mendizábal B., a sample charged with symbolism and magic characteristic of Afro-descendant culture.

The delegation of authorities and representatives of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Panama were received at the residence of Sandra Eleta, manager and member of the festival's board.

The program was opened with applause and shouts of joy at the presentation of Mma Ari's congo Children's Group, a group of portobelan dances that for more than fifteen years has been focused on protecting the congo culture with children's participation from the age of 3.

The devils of the Kamikaze group continued and so one after another had been interacted with the public. The dancers delight those present for their variety of dances, their masks and gestures that scares some and others with a smile.

"What I best liked about this year's festival is the integration of other devils, for example, from Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, which indicates that we are growing up, many want to know about the congo culture and this is an event where they get a piece of our history," shared Leticia Levy de Márquez, a colonan specialist in Afro-panamanian cuisine, an investigator of Panama's inmaterial cultural heritage and author of the book My ancestral and more recipes.

Dona Lety, as she's known at María Chiquita, recommends that "they can be added as part of the program of the festival, workshops that explain to locals and visitors why the devil dresses in red and why it changes to black, or what the figure of the devil represents, so that they are later replicators of that knowledge, of that knowledge of the congo culture and amen this part of the story," added the cultural manager who has also been contributing to promoting this festival.

For his part, Gabriel González, Vice Minister of Culture, expressed at his welcome to the festival that "it's a great emotion to be with you this afternoon, seeing this festival filled with culture and tradition. To this town of Portobelo we will continue to support you tirelessly with the Tourism Authority, so that this event will grow and continue to impact tourism."

González recalled that UNESCO's recognition "as an Intangible Cultural Heritage and that's the result of our efforts to coordinate Intangible Heritage, Panama and the world are looking at us."

Ladies of all ages have been spotted with their characteristic congoes and accessories and their danzants and smaller children have been spotted with their conical hat and objects hung in their waist, including toys, to represent how the cicamarrones have been picking up what they have found as they escape their enslaves.

"Louis," his seven-year-old, told us, "I love to get dressed this way, I get a great deal of joy when I look in the mirror, and when I see my friends as well, I know how to dance, and I don't care and I want to continue to get dressed and dance, as well as my grandmother and ma who are dressed as well."

In November 2018, the "Ritual and Festive Expressions of the congo culture" were declared as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of mankind by the UNESCO and by Act No. 41 of 2018 was established the pollera congo, Mask and Dairy Dairy with its patronate, with a new name that united two festivals, that were organized alternatively: the Fest of Congoes and Dairy and the Fest of the pollera Qzx22qQ Qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq@@

According to official figures for 2023, a significant increase of visitors with more than 4,000 people was noted relative to the previous year and reached a figure of 3,000 people. The economic impact was estimated at more than 200,000 pits, with an employment in accommodation of 100% for the area, with Portobelo being a destination of cultural and environmental tourism.