Spaniards introduced kidnapped African slaves in South America through the Magdalena River Valley. – Palenque de San Basilio
Its mouth is close to the important port of Cartagena de Indias where ships full of Africans arrived.
Some Africans escaped and set up Palenque de San Basilio.
They became the first freed slaves in the Americas. They then tried to free all African slaves arriving at Cartagena and were quite successful.
The village has become a Unesco World Heritage Site and African dance traditions are still preserved in the village today through classes and performances passed down through generations. We were able to attend and photograph a performance at the local dance school.