In this excerpt, Solís discusses the one-person performance that she created through her theater company to celebrate Celedonio and the Major Devil tradition of Portobelo, Panama.
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Carlos Chavarria Future Retirement as Major Devil
In this excerpt, Chavarría discusses how he imagines retiring as Major Devil.
Carlos Chavarria Legacy of Celedonio
In this excerpt, Chavarría discusses his mentor Celedonio Molinar’s lasting legacy to the town and to the Congo tradition, including a charge to embrace the tradition with pride and joy.
Carlos Chavarria Importance of Congo for Community Pride
In this excerpt, Chavarría talks about the importance of the Congo tradition and Congo dance to the community’s sense of pride and self. He urges young people to maintain the power of their traditions and to stay anchored to their sense of “place” and home.
Carlos Chavarria Childhood Memories of Congo before the Road
In this excerpt, Chavarría shares childhood memories about how the Congo tradition was enacted before “the road.” In the “closed” community people did not work during carnival season, pooled resources, shared food, and communed together for several days as part of their celebration.
Carlos Chavarria Major Devil in the Passion of the Christ
In this excerpt, Chavarría shares a story about what happened when the Major Devil played the starring role in the Passion of Christ.
Carlos Chavarria Most Important Things to Know about Congo in Portobelo
In this excerpt, Chavarría responds to the question, “One hundred years in the future when scholars are studying the Congo tradition in Portobelo, what are the most important things that they should know?”
Ileana Solis Palma Economy and Violent Embodiment of Devils
In this excerpt, Solís discusses the relationship between the economy and the increasingly violent ways in which younger generations of devils within Congo traditions of Panama embody the character.
Ileana Solis Palma Energy and Magnetism of Celedonio
In this excerpt, Ileana discusses the unique energy and magnetism that made Celedonio Molinar’s embodiment of the devil character within the Congo tradition of Portobelo, Panama so special.
Celedonio Molinar Becoming Major Devil
In this excerpt, Molinar discusses how he came to play the role of Major Devil in Portobelo. And how he reintroduced the practice of “Blessing” or “Baptizing” the Devil.