tumaco
Afroinnova visits The pearl of the pacific…
Afroinnova II started in Tumaco, on Colombia’s pacific coast, this year. this pearl of the pacific bursts with diversity, resistance and the strong presence of African and indigenous cultures. We welcomed our first small group of AfroInnova experts from around the world to tumaco for two days of exploration and wonder. from visits to Tumaco’s Casa de la memoria to musical delights with Fundaction Chango and Plu Con Pla, AFROiNnova learned tumaco.
And oh, how we came to love it.
Why visit Tumaco with our Afro-Diaspora creatives, just in from Madrid, London, Johannesburg, Medellin and Luanda? More than 80% of Tumaco’s population is Afro-Colombian, with an indigenous population of 4.6%.
Tumaco is Afro and Indigenous Colombia. Tumaco contends with high rates of violence, poverty, unemployment and lack of access to education. And Tumaco vibrates with creativity, community and culture. Experiencing the region’s rich and varied artistic and communal traditions alongside the regions’ musicians, community leaders and young people brought about a level of connection across Diaspora experiences that we could have only achieved face to face, ear to instrument.
"Tumaco is the holder of the African cultures that arrived centuries ago on the pacific coast and that, tenaciously, have remained, persevered and mixed with each other and with her indigenous peoples.Tumaco’s music is memory, pride and relief in a place as hard as it is wonderful.” - Lucía Asué Mbomío Rubio
"There are few places in the world where the definitions of music, dance and art as a tool for social transformation are much more than a mere buzzword. The artistic practice in Tumaco is, undoubtedly, a vital and daily exercise to survive historical oppression and extreme violence. A diasporic cultural scene, that keeps vivid the links with Africa and its ancestry, but at same time, searching for new ways of a contemporary approach.” - Kiluanji kia henda
here’s WHO WE MET
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Del Mar a la Olla
Del Mar a la Olla is women’s cooking collective formed to feed their community and share ancestral practices and knowledge.
These women have revitalized recipes with the ancestral ingredients and practices of the South Pacific, tapping into tourist routes and offering training to locals and visitors alike. They’re also documenting the stories and effects of conflict in their communities, taking part in projects such as Recipes for Peace and Route 5.
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Tumaco House of Memory
This museum of stories has evolved into a space of transformation and hope through the promotion of human rights, the keeping of memories and the rescue of cultural practices of collective healing and peace in Tumaco.
Families of victims of violence in the region create memories of their loved ones in the museum, taking part in reconciliation and healing. Yohana Quiñones and her team work to bring hope to the nearly 80% of Tumaco's population that recognize themselves as a victims of the conflict. -
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Plu con Pla
Tumaco’s very own Plu Con Pla fuses traditional rhythms from the Pacific coast of Colombia, with reggae, hip-hop, subtle electronic beats and West African elements.
Their Tumaco roots shine through: community and social justice are central to their music and their work. Plu con Pla’s lyrics tackle hard themes like racism and civil war, and they’re committed to teaching young people, leading workshops and supporting the peace process in Colombia.
The group takes its name from a traditional Tumaco dish - fish and plantains - which is traditionally available to anyone in the community whether they can pay or not. -
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Tumac Foundation
The Tumac Foundation was created 25 years ago in the Pantano de Vargas neighborhood of Tumaco. For 50 years, Master Francisco Tenorio and teacher Laylis Quiñones have been leading artistic education for young people in the region and to this day, the Foundation’s extended family has trained more than five generations of Tumaqueños in dance and traditional music.
Today more than a hundred children and young people are being trained in traditional music and dance, music production, design and costume, construction of traditional musical instruments academic enrichment and more.
The foundation is also home to the band Plu con Pla. With a branch in Medellin and a deep connection to the Petronio Alvarez Festival, Tumac Foundation serves as a symbol and practice of resistance and care for culture: a thriving platform for the young generations of the South Pacific. -
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Tumaco Atelier School
Founded by Marcela Aragón, Tumaco Atelier School safeguards cultural heritage through training in traditional trades. The school currently offers training in such as cooking, construction, cocoa and chocolate making, carpentry, table and bar, bakery and pastry making, as well as short courses to strengthen other productive skills, especially for young people and women in the region.
Founder Marcela Marcela is a social communicator and journalist for social development with a master's degree in government as a Manos Visibles Pacific Power scholar of Manos Visibles.
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Changó Foundation
The Music Foundation of the Pacific, Changó was created in 2004 to recover, collect, preserve, strengthen, teach and disseminate the music of the south pacific region of Nariño. The foundation boasts high levels of participation and representation across Tumaco and beyond - including at the Petronio Alvarez Pacific Music Festival since 2005. Chango’s orality, tradition and impeccable musical interpretation have been awarded several times at the festival.
