Week of August 28, 2010
Congo Princess
Marlon Bishop
Marcia Rodriguez (right) and her mother Alejandrina Lan (center) in full Congo regalia at a event honoring prominent women in Panama's cultural life.
Description
The Congos, an Afro-Panamanian cultural community, have managed to keep their African traditions alive over centuries. Descendants of slaves who escaped the Spanish, many Congos fled to isolated island communities. Now, they're integrated into Panamanian life, and the traditions of the Congo community are at risk of dissolving into obscurity.
Reporter Marlon Bishop met one woman in Panama City who is working to keep the Congo cultural traditions alive.
