Research Example - Panama - Billingham International Folklore

PANAMA
http://www.kbears.com/continents.html interactive world map (includes music and
words for their National Anthem)
http://www.kbears.com/panama/links.html - fabulous site for children to investigate
Panamanian culture and environment. Photos of Panama’s environment include cities,
buildings, schools, food, animals, taken recently and some are from 40’s, 50’s and 60’s,
etc. All listed under ‘links’ title then click on ‘pictures’. Albums under Dino’s photo’s,
click on ‘back to Dino’s Panama photos’ this brings up hundreds of albums different
people have added.
http://www.panama-culture.com/en/folklore.aspx
The Panama Flag is divided into four parts among which the two sections are white in
colour and the other two are red and blue. The white parts of the flag have two five
pointed star of red and blue colour on each of them. In 1903, the current national flag
of Panama became officially effective. The blue rectangle and the blue star falls on the
hoist part of the flag. The white part of the national flag of Panama stands for peace
and the blue star on it signifies purity and honesty and the red star represents law and
power. The red and blue star also stands for Liberal party and Conservative party, the
two political parties of Panama
GEOGRAPHY
Area: (about 1/2 the size of England…78,200 sq. km. (30,193 sq. mi.); Panama occupies
the South Eastern end of the isthmus forming the land bridge between North and
South America. Borders both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between
Colombia and Costa Rica.
Cities: Capital--Panama City (1.7 million, metropolitan area). Other cities--Colon
(204,000), David (179,674).
Terrain: Mountainous (highest elevation Cerro Volcan Baru, 3,475 m.--11,468 ft.);
coastline 2,857 km. (1,786 mi.).
Climate: Tropical, with average daily rainfall 28 mm. (1 in.) in winter.
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Natural hazards: occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery
resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion
threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens
natural resources.
There are nine provinces and five (indigenous) territories.
BRIEF HISTORY
Panama's history has been shaped by the evolution of the world economy and the
ambitions of great powers. Like all of Central America, the native Indian population of
Panama was all but destroyed by the disease and powerful weapons inflicted on them by
the Spanish during their aggressive colonization. The earliest known inhabitants of
Panama were the Cuevas and the Coclé tribes, but they were decimated by disease and
fighting when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.
Rodrigo de Bastidas, sailing westward from Venezuela in 1501 in search of gold, was the
first European to explore the Isthmus of Panama. A year later, Christopher Columbus
visited the Isthmus and established a short-lived settlement in the Darien. Vasco
Nunez de Balboa's tortuous trek from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1513 demonstrated
that the Isthmus was, indeed, the path between the seas, and Panama quickly became
the crossroads and marketplace of Spain's empire in the New World. Gold and silver
were brought by ship from South America, hauled across the Isthmus, and loaded
aboard ships for Spain. The route became known as the Camino Real, or Royal Road,
although it was more commonly known as Camino de Cruces (Road of the Crosses)
because of the abundance of gravesites along the way.
Panama was part of the Spanish empire for 300 years (1538-1821). Panamanian identity
was based on people arriving into the area, depending on the fluctuating fortunes and
important exports at the time. The colonial experience ended up forming Panamanian
nationalism, as well as a racially complex society.
As the Spanish regional power increased, Panama became the launching
point for invasions into South America. Most of the treasure mined (stolen) by the
conquistadors in Bolivia and Peru was sent back to Panama for transport to Spain.
Treasures shipped across the Caribbean became a strong magnet (an easy mark) for
pirates (and over time) to reduce their increasing losses, the Spanish Crown decided to
transport the gold and silver south, around the southern tip of South America, on a long
(but safe) journey back to Spain.
With little strategic value remaining for Spain, Panama was ignored. When neighbouring
Colombia gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Panama became a province of that
new country.
With U.S. backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, and promptly signed a treaty
with the U.S. allowing for the construction of a canal and U.S. sovereignty over a strip
of land on either side, to be called the Panama Canal Zone.
Ignoring the tragic attempt by the French to build the canal in the late 19th century,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers successfully constructed it between 1904 and 1914, a
feat that revolutionized ocean-going shipping, even to the present day.
Understandable unhappiness by Panama on its major asset being controlled by a foreign
land, an agreement was signed in 1977, calling for the complete transfer of
the Canal from the U.S. to Panama by the end of 1999.
In the mid-1980s General Manuel Noriega took control of Panama, and during his messy
5-year dictatorship, democracy disappeared, the economy was severely damaged, drug
trafficking from South America increased, and the population lived in fear of further
repression.
With U.S. help, Noriega was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area
supporting the Canal, and remaining U.S. military bases were turned over to Panama on
December 31, 1999
PANAMA CURRENCY
Panamanian currency is ‘Balboa’
1 GBP
= 1.6636 PAB
Pound Sterling = Panamanian Balbo
MULTICULTURAL COUNTRY/ETHNICITY/RELIGION
The culture, customs, and language of the Panamanians are predominantly Caribbean
Spanish. Ethnically, the majority of the population (70%) is mestizo (mixed Spanish and
Indian) or mixed Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and West Indian.
Back in Colonial times the Spanish permitted the integration of the indigenous tribes,
black African slaves and white Europeans, creating a very unique, special blend of
cultures and physical characteristics.
Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common second language
spoken by the West Indians and by many business people and professionals. More than
half the population lives in the Panama City-Colon metropolitan corridor.
These distinct features are well represented throughout Panama, most notably among
the creollos and mulattos. In fact, there is a commonly repeated expression, which when
translated into English, reads “the best thing that the Spanish left on our soil were the
mulattas”. Their beauty and sensuality that results from the delicate union between
blacks and whites is very noticeable.
A melting pot of races, in Panama one can find food and traditions of almost any
country. Over the years the various communities of immigrants have created important
commercial centres like the Colon Free Zone and the Banking District, where together
they work: Arabs, Panamanians, Jews, Americans, Chinese, Hindus, and Japanese, each
with one thing in common; born in Panama.
More recently Middle Eastern people, Swiss, Yugoslavs and North Americans have also
added to this diverse cultural mix due to Panama’s unique location and history as a
crossroads of the world. from the US and Canada also add to the pot in the winter
months!
92.6% is the literacy rate of Panama. This high literacy rate has given the job aspirants
bright career options. Panama people have quite diversified occupation for their
livelihood. 20.8% of the people practice agriculture, 18% of them are in Industries while
the majority, that is the remaining 61.2%, are into services.
Majority of Panama People are Mestizos, who represent the ethnic mixture of
Europeans and American Indians. People of Panama also comprise of the immigrants
from Middle Eastern Countries, Switzerland, China, former Yugoslavia and North
America. Due to the existence of a variety of cultures, Panama has got a unique culture,
which represents the blend of all the cultures present in Panama.
85% of People in Panama follow Roman Catholicism while the rest 15% believe in
Protestantism. Till July 2007, Panama people numbered above 3,240,000. The rate of
growth of population of Panama is about 1.56% while the death rate is about 5.44 per
thousand of people. Life expectancy is nearly 79 for women and 73 years old for men.
In terms of occupation, agriculture now only accounts for 20.8% of the population,
industry 18% and the service sector employs the remaining 61.2%.
Panama is rich in folklore and popular traditions taken from all over the place. Brightly
coloured national dress is worn during local festivals and the pre-Lenten carnival season,
especially for traditional folk dances like the tamborito. Local music combines African
drums with European lyrics and guitar playing.
Lively salsa, a mixture of Latin American popular music, rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock
is a Panamanian specialty, and Ruben Blades (now the minister for tourism) its bestknown performer. Spanish is the official and dominant language; English is a common
second language spoken by the West Indians and by many in business and the
professions.
INDIGENOUS (RAINFOREST TRIBES) TRIBAL SOCIETY
The indigenous population of Panama comprises approximately 6% of the population and
is composed of 7 distinct groups which are the Embera, Waounan, Kuna, Ngobe, Bugle,
Nassau, and Terribe people.
Literacy rate is low for natives than for other ethnic groups in Panama. Twenty years
ago, the illiteracy rate was at over 80% compared to almost 20% of the population at
large. There has been much improvement since Government got involved, prior to that
missionaries taught. There are hundreds of Indian schools now and education is
improving rapidly.
Indian tribes on the isthmus are the Kunas who are found on the islands of San Blas and
also in the jungle of Chucunaque and Bayano; the Ngobe Bugle (also known as Guaymie)
who live mainly in the mountainous areas of Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and Chiriqui, the
Embera and Wounan (tribes of the Chocoes group) who live in the Darien jungle and the
Terribe and Cricamola in the province of Bocas del Toro.
KUNA INDIANS NGOBE BUGLE (GUAYMIE) INDIANS - Women wear gowns of bright colours sewn in
geometric shapes while men’s dress is basically modern. However, during their
ceremonies of balseria, where the strongest triumph, they will dress themselves with
exotic bird feathers and paint their faces with geometric shapes, usually black, white
and red.
They live in huts near rivers or in valleys. The Ngöbe Buglé fish, hunt, raise dogs, cattle,
chickens and pigs. Some of their more famous items are chaquiras, bead neckalces of
geometric designs and bold colours. The Ngöbe Buglé impose severe punishments for
adultery and celebrate a number of annual ceremonies.
WOUNAAN INDIANS - There are perhaps 2,600 Wounaan indians living in the Darien
rainforest. In 1983 the government of Panamá recognized the Comarca Emberá-Drua, a
semi-autonomous Indigenous territory for both tribes. This territory covers parts of
the Darien National Park and Biosphere Reserve.
Wounaan semi nomadic indians live in remote areas, and survive therefore very much as
the Spaniards found them early in the 16th century. They are a proud, peaceful, honest,
people who live a day-to-day existence with few economic pressures. Their government
is by General Chiefs who hold the main authority and there are sahilas for each village.
They usually make their own laws.
EMBERA-WOUNAAN INDIANS - A semi-nomadic Indians living along the banks of the
Chucunaque, Sambu, Tuira Rivers. The rivers serve as their highways and source of
livelihood. They live independently in small one or two family groups and their houses are
on platform raised on stilts several feet above the ground. They cultivate food in
gardens near their houses and eat typical foods like masata. They hunt and fish and
make wood crafts.
Both men and women go about practically naked. The men are short, muscular with
straight black hair, earrings, a small loin cloth and dark body paint made from the dye
of a native berry from the genip tree. They also use a red body paint made from
achiote, the seed pod which is used to give colour and flavour to Panamanian cooking.
Women wear colourful dresses, plus flowers on their heads and necklaces.
Embera Indians (15,000) inhabit the Darien Rainforest. This tribe along with the
Wounaan were formerly known as the Choco because they emigrated from the Choso
province of Columbia in the late 18th C. This is the best site I could find to reflect the
people and environment of the Embera tribe. It is a fabulous site, where you can click
on and it shows 360 degree images of the village, etc. Just use the drop down box it
shows a list of boat, boat trip, chief and drum, etc.
http://www.vtoursonline.com/VirtualTours/Panama/Embera/index.htm
Traditional crafts include the colourful Mola, Tagua nut carvings, Wounaan and Embera
woven baskets, balsa and cocobolo wood carvings, and pottery. The sale of native crafts
to tourists has increased and helps to support the needs of the villages and native
people. Indian influences dominate handicrafts such as the famous Kuna textile molas
(SEE BELOW). Artist Roberto Lewis’ Presidential Palace murals (MURALS SEE BELOW)
and his restoration work and ceiling in the National Theatre are well known and admired.
The Chocó are a matriarchal society and live in family units based around defining
lineage through the mother's side of the family. The cacique, or chief, of the Chocó
lived in the largest village, and capitol of the Chocó Nation, named Union Chocó. The city
was on the banks of the Rio Tuira.
The Chocó have their own form of government, and live by their own set of laws. They
appear to have little or no contact with the Guardia Nacional or the Panamanian
government. Regardless, they tend to ignore any governmental rules or regulations, and
the Guardia leaves them alone. They had never been assimilated into Panamanian society,
and Chocó Indians have not held a civic position or one that was a member of the
Guardia. The Chocó are not known for intermarrying with the Panamanians and
Colombians.
The land is community owned and community farmed. Everyone in the village, including
women and children, pitch in to help out at harvest time. If someone killed a Puerco de
Monte while hunting during the day, and brought it back to town, everybody in the
village eats Puerco de Monte that night.
The men wear loin cloths, the women wear brightly coloured materials wrapped at the
waist, which looked like skirts. Both the men and the woman had long straight black
hair, and wore no clothing from the waist up. The little kids go naked most of the time,
and no one wears shoes. They paint their bodies with a dye made from the berry of the
Genip tree. They would completely coat their bodies with the black dye, which can repel
insects at night. On special occasions, they use this same dye and paint their bodies in
intricate geometric patterns. It is a way the women had to adorn themselves. The
women also wore silver necklaces and silver earrings on these special occasions; many of
the necklaces were made with old silver dollars, and silver half dollars. They would
punch a hole in the coin and run a silver chain through the holes. Many of the coins on
these necklaces dated back into the 19th century and have been passed down from
mother to daughter
Kuna Yala, also known to tourists as San Blas, is an autonomous region on the Caribbean
coast of Panama, comprising some 400 islands. Only 40 or so are inhabited, which means
that you can yacht or boat it out to many pristine deserted islands.
ECONOMICS
The largest consumer in Central America, Panama, is bordered by Costa Rica to the
north-west, Colombia to the south-east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific
Ocean to the south. It is an international commercial business centre. Therefore,
professional Spanish translation and interpreting services play a major role. Panama is a
global offshore banking centre and its sectors continue to bloom by attracting many
investors. Panama is a leader in integration with today's global community.
Indigenous peoples, especially in Central America, have always struggled with
modernization and concepts of capitalism and market economy. The Embera and
Waounan in the Darien are no different. With recent deforestation (Pan-America
highway, slash and burn farming) migration of campesino farmers into Darien, the
younger generations going off to school and to the city to live and work, etc., their lives
have inextricably changed and they have created more financial needs.
ECO-TOURISM
Today some Embera and Waounan villages rely on tourism and sales of artesania to help
revive and preserve their culture, provide a source of income to their village and secure
their place in Panamanian society, without being assimilated and losing their identity.
They need tourism and they have a lot to offer visitors. Visitors to a village should be
aware of where their money goes and go as a responsible tourist. Too many cultures are
being destroyed by so called eco-tour companies who make a quick buck at the expense
of local communities.
FOOD
Originally semi-nomadic forest dweller the Embera and Waounan were known as huntergatherers. They hunted with blowpipes and poisonous darts--a technique still in practice
in Colombia--bows and arrows and long spears. In addition to hunting, people also set
traps for rodents and birds. The most common targets for hunters were deer, wild
boar, coati-mundi, gneke, etc.
A significant part of the diet came from the collection of jungle plants, fruits, heart of
palm, roots and tubers.
The rivers in Darien abound with fish and the locals have always been skilled anglers.
Young people today are very talented with the long fishing harpoon (spear) they use
standing from a dugout or walking in the current of the river. Some even dive with a
spear. Hand lines with hooks are common as well, and when fishermen lack bait, they use
the fruit of tree they call espave. The espave is type of nut which, once pealed, reveals
a white flesh that lures fish as well as live bait.
Because of serious deforestation in the vicinity of many villages, hunting yields have
dropped and people have been forced to survive more from farming. Until recently
agriculture was limited to a few root crops and maize. Villages have had to adapt and
learn and implement new techniques, and grow new crops in order to provide enough
food. They are still learning, and agricultural training projects are under way in many
areas. Fishing however remains important as a means of providing protein. In addition to
traditional spearing techniques they use nets and hand lines and often you will see young
boys go off at night with a flashlight, harpoon and mask and dive for the big ones.
The main crops cultivated by the people in Darien are plantains, bananas, corn, sugar
cane, rice, beans, and yucca root. Unfortunately, slash and burn techniques are still in
wide use and soil depletion and deforestation are problems in many areas.
VEGETABLES
Tomatoes, melons, water melons, squash, peppers, corn, beans, yucca, name (pronounced
narmee)
Mung beans
Bean sprouts
Aster flowers
Bell flower
Yams or sweet potatoes)
Panamanian food is similar to that of other Latin American countries, but is not
particularly spicy. Corn in many forms is often found in Panamanian cuisine. Cooking is
done mainly in oil. Fish, seafood and shellfish dishes are Panamanian specialties.
Other common foods in Panama include are pollo (chicken), ceviche (raw fish in lemon
juice and cilantro), patacones (fried plantain slices), corvina (a white fish from the
Pacific), and camarones (shrimp). Though a variety of fruits are grown in Panama, fresh
fruit is not served in restaurants as often as in other countries; fruit can be purchased
in outdoor markets and at stands along major roads.
FLOWERS
Panama`s National Flower Peristeria elata (Holy
Ghost Orchid – as it is rare we would not be able to grow, but we could attempt to grow
other orchids.
Amaryllis are very common garden flowers in Panama,
especially in mass plantings
HOUSING
More than half the 3.3 million population lives in the Panama City-Colon metropolitan
corridor.
However, the Chocó Indians live in small villages of 10 to 20 houses along the banks of
the rivers throughout the main Chucunaque/Tuira/Balsas basin of the Darien of Panama.
There are generally three villages on each tributary that branches off from the main
river system. Each village was about a half day's walk to the next village. Closer to a
village, the jungle topography on the shores begins to change, and there is less jungle
and more plantain fields. The villages are built on a small rise, set approximately 100
feet in from the river. The hill leading down to the river from the village is hard packed
with smooth reddish dirt. There are large rocks in the river by the banks, and one can
see young, naked children playing on the shore and in the shallows as the dugout canoe
pulls up to the banks. The houses of the village are set atop the rise and stand out as
they are raised on poles and have tall thatched roofs.
Their houses are raised off the ground about eight feet. Each house stands on several
large logs and has a thatched roof made from large palm leaves. All the joints are tied
together with vines. There are no walls to the house. Hanging from the supporting log
beams were baskets, pots, bows and arrows and other items that had been hand
fashioned for fishing or hunting. The floor is made of split cana blanca (white cane), and
at one end was the kitchen. This consists of a clay platform that was about three feet
square; on top of this base they set the logs for the fire, supporting the cooking pot
over the fire by using a tripod of sturdy sticks. The Chocó would climb to the house on a
log that had notches in it to serve as a ladder. They would turn the notches facing down
at night so wild animals cannot climb into the house while they slept.
KUNA HOUSE ON THE SAN BLAS ISLANDS
TRADITIONAL STILT HOUSES AND THE COMMUNAL HOUSE
Houses were traditionally built very high on stilts, up to ten feet. At those heights the
house was protected from wild animals such as the feared jaguar called locally tigre
(tiger), wild boar, rodents etc. It also offered protection from flooding and even from
other people. Houses today are still built on stilts but not as high (the threat of
invaders and jaguars is less of a concern), just a few feet of the ground to avoid the
flooding of the rainy season and to prohibit the invasion of the insects that nest and
congregate in the grasses. People climb into their house using a log in which they carve
small steps.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1920&bih=936&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=embera+c
ommunal+houses&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
Traditional houses are composed of a single room with the fire pit at one end and living
space at the other. One or two sides are closed with walls of bamboo or other wood.
Walls offer some privacy but by leaving half of the house open, breezes serve to cool
the house and keep insects from congregating. The roofs are made of thatch.
More recently houses have been constructed with walls on all sides, and sometimes a
real set of stairs or a ladder. And villagers with money now use corrugated zinc for
roofing. It's a show of wealth and requires less work to install. However it is expensive,
noisy under the rain, and transforms houses into Saunas during the mid-day heat.
Schools in most villages have been built by the government and their concrete
structures are a striking contrast to the thatched-roofed organic feel of the houses of
the village.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=panama+embera+school+photos&hl=en&biw=1302&bih
=770&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=o03GTe7INcHLhAfIqfX3Aw&
ved=0CC8QsAQ
Education: Years compulsory--primary grades 1-6, or through age 15. Attendance--95%
for primary school-age children, 62.2% for secondary, 34.9% for tertiary. Literacy-92.6% overall; urban 94%; rural 62%.
Each village has its casa communal used for official meetings, to receive guests, or for
ceremonies. Traditionally communal houses were crowned with large round, sloping roofs
and are by far the largest structure in the village.
PIRAGUA, THE LOCAL DUGOUT CANOE
Most Indigenous groups in tropical regions of the world use a single large tree trunk to
carve narrow dugout canoes. You will see all sizes, from a little fishing canoe for kids
less than six feet long and barely more than a foot wide to the monster communal boats
carved from a 45-foot long, four-foot wide log. Embera and Waounan people have what
are called piraguas in Spanish. Some support only the weight of a child and some can
carry 20 passengers and a mountain of cargo. Nearly everyone is an expert at paddling
or poling their piraguas into and against strong currents. They will even do it from a
standing position. The piraguas are essential for transport of cargo and people, and for
fishing. Young kids learn how to read the current of a river at a very young age.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1920&bih=936&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=panama+E
mbera+dug+out+canoe&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
NATURAL DYES (ACHIOTE, COCOBOLO, YUKIYA…)
The most common colours used in canasta weaving are the natural straw-white colour of
the chunga fibre, brown and black.
The brown colour is produced by boiling the fibre with pieces of cocobolo wood.
The black is produced with the same initial technique, after which it is submerged in
dark mud from which it emerges ebony black. The fibres are then washed a few times
to clean off excess dye.
Some modern canastas use more colours (red, yellow, magenta, green, blue) and the
traditional geometrical designs are now being supplemented with images of animals, etc.
depending on the mood and creativity of the artist.
The red colour is extracted from the achiote berry which is also boiled with the fibre
Cocobolo bark (wood also used for carvings, see below)
The yellow colour comes from the extract of a root called yuguilla
ART & DESIGN
MOLA – KUNA TRIBE
The mola forms part of the traditional costume of a Kuna woman, two mola panels being
incorporated as front and back panels in a blouse. The full costume traditionally includes
a patterned wrapped skirt (saburet), a red and yellow headscarf (musue), arm and leg
beads (wini), a gold nose ring (olasu) and earrings in addition to the mola blouse
(dulemor).
Molas have their origin in body painting and only after the colonization by the Spanish
missionaries did the Kuna women begin to incorporate their mola designs into fabric
bought to Panama from Europe. Geometric molas are the most traditional, having
developed from ancient body painting designs.
Many hours of careful sewing are required to create a fine mola. The ability to make an
outstanding mola is a source of status among Kuna women.
The quality of a mola is determined by such factors as





number of layers
fineness of stitching
evenness and width of cutouts
addition of details such as zigzag borders, lattice-work or embroidery
general artistic merit of the design and colour combination.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVrbqw-wEKk - MOLA ARTWORK – 1min 47 secs
WOUNAAN & EMBERATRIBES
WOUNAAN HOSIG DI – GEOMETRIC CRAFT – WOVEN BASKETS
La Chunga (Straw Baskets)
http://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=936&q=wou
naan+hosig+di+art&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq= if this link does not work, go to google
images and keyword in ‘wounaan hosig di art’
Inside the tropical jungle of Panama, there are many plants and trees. One of the most
important to mention is the chunga palm, or in the Embera dialect “jiwa”. It is a palm
that grows very tall and has a lot of spines.
The chunga is widely used for its leaves and also its trunk, which serves as a post in a
traditional Embera house. Embera women, as a legacy of their ancestors, have learned
to weave beautiful baskets from the fibres of the leaves.
Naguala (or palm hat) is used for the basket centre
How to obtain and work with the chunga fibres:
First the heart of the chunga plant is cut and gathered. Then, the Embera ladies bring
the leaf home and put it in water so that it doesn’t dry out in the sun. One leaf has four
fibres. After obtaining all of the fibres, the chunga is cooked to get rid of the natural
green colour.
After cooking, the leaves are put in the sun to that they dry. The ladies leave them
overnight so that they become white with the dew of the open air.
Then they can create many different colours. The colour red comes from achiote (Bixa
orellana), the yellow from yuquilla (Schefflera gleasonii), and the black from the
cocobolo wood and black earth. All of these colours are made by cooking the fibres with
the material. These colours are not erased and do not stain.
After having all of the fibres, the ladies begin to weave. A basket can take anywhere
from 3 to 60 days, dedicating 6 to 8 hours daily. The quality is determined by the
weave. Baskets of good quality take much longer, are finer and stronger. Baskets of
medium quality have a weave that is not quite as fine.
EMBERA TRIBES - Cocobolo, a wood that comes from a tropical tree, is very important
for the Embera people. The cocobolo carvings are made very delicately. The shape is
inspired my many different species of animals. It is common to see works of birds,
forest animals and canes.
Cocobola (wood carvings)
All of the work is done manually . Children of 7 years of age to adults dedicate
themselves to cocobolo carving.
The cocobolo tree grows in the tropics of Panama. It can grow as tall as approximately
30 meters. It is a very strong wood and resistant to termites. It is also used to make
drums or to make a post in a traditional Embera house.
An axe is used to cut the tree. A piece of cocobolo wood, before finishing, can weight 1
kilogram. After finishing, it normally weighs ½ pound.
To do the finishing of the wood, Embera men use sandpaper of different varieties to
give it its nice sheen. The wood has a nice, natural shine to it.
A cocobolo carving often passes from generation to generation of a family.
The cocobolo wood scraps are very useful to the Embera women for their colour, which
can be used to dye chunga fibres. Cocobolo can be black, yellow or black striped.
TAGUA (VEGETABLE IVORY)Tagua
(vegetable ivory) comes from a palm that
grows approximately 8 feet tall. In the
year 1946, the ivory was used to make
and export buttons.
The vegetable ivory tree can be found in
the canal area of Panama.
There are 3 parts: the shell, which is the
outside covering of the ivory, and inside
it can have anywhere from 6 to 12 fruits,
depending upon the size. When the ivory is new, the part inside is edible. In the first
growing stage it has water, and it is drinkable. The second growing stage is similar to
that of coconut. After it hardens, one can begin to work and carve in it.
The ivory can be collected after a few years. The fruits fall and are collected in
baskets by Embera people.
An ivory carving goes through many processes. First, the Embera artisan must remove
its shell. After, the inside part is scraped. Then, the artisan must mentally prepare
what design to carve, inspired by the different spices of birds and animals. The carver
uses a small chisel to carve the design.
The natural colour of the ivory is white, but it can be painted. To make the different
colours, the carver will buy paint in Panama City.
LA CHAQUIRA (BEADWORD)
Traditionally, the beads used were made from rock, seeds and
animal teeth. Present day beads from plastic are bought in a
store in Panama City.
To make a beadwork item, cotton string, a minimum of 5 cm is
used. Then, beads of different colours are used to sew the item.
The designs made by Embera women are inspired by nature.
They also make geometric and traditional designs, learned by their ancestors.
Various items that are made include:
a. Bracelet
b. Necklaces
c. Earrings
d. Traditional breastplates, adorned with silver and money, used by Embera women
e. Beaded unisex crowns
The Embera people prefer strong, vibrant colours. The designs are passed from one
generation to the next; therefore the Embera women don’t need a book to weave their
work. They are very creative.
Kuna Yala men wear beaded necklaces
http://www.rainforestbaskets.com/coll_geometrics.shtml (scroll to see the many
geometric shapes) - Geometric designs are also called traditional or cultural, because
the motifs are repeated in the traditional body painting patterns used in important
ceremonies and cultural activities. Other geometric patterns are derived from preColumbian textiles and pottery motifs, as well as symbolic and powerful symbols from
ritual and shamanic objects.
Adornments - bead work
PANAMA HAT
There is not so much information relating to Panama hats – most of the resources and
even hat made are exported by Ecuador!
COLLECTING RESOURCES TO MAKE PANAMA HATS
FESTIVALS, CARNIVALS, CELEBRATIONS
Carnival - This is celebrated over the four days preceding Ash Wednesday. It is a very
festive holiday involving music, dancing and a big parade on Shrove Tuesday.
Festival of the Black Christ - It includes a parade of the famous life size statute of the
Black Christ. It is held on the 21 October and attracts pilgrims from all over the
country.
Semana Santa (Easter week) - These festive celebrations are held at Villa de Los santas
on the Peninsula de Azuero.
Panama Carnival The last weekend in February features the Panama Carnival. For two
days ordinary life in Panama City comes to a standstill and the air is filled with the
sounds of reggae, the smell of food and incense and all the colours of the rainbow. The
Carnival is centred on the very long and very wide Via Espana with numerous parades
making their way up and down this stretch all day and night.
New Year’s Day Jan 1
Martyrs Day Jan 9
Carnival Last weekend Feb
Ash Wednesday Feb 25
Holy Thursday April 8
Good Friday March/April
Easter Monday March/April
Labour Day May 1
Founders Day Aug 15
All Souls Day Nov 2
Panama-Colombia separation Nov 3
Flag's day Nov 4th
Independence from Spain Nov 28
Mothers Day Dec 8
Christmas Eve Dec 24
Christmas Day Dec 25
New Years Eve Dec 31
DANCE AND MUSIC
Panama is rich in folklore and popular traditions. Lively salsa--a mixture of Latin
American popular music, rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock--is a Panamanian specialty, and
Ruben Blades its best-known performer. Indigenous influences dominate handicrafts
such as the famous Kuna textile molas. Artist Roberto Lewis' Presidential Palace murals
and his restoration work and ceiling in the National Theater are widely admired.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_festivals_and_holidays_are_celebrated_in_Panama#
ixzz1Lbsl7MF5
Every year on the four days leading up to Ash Wednesday, the Panama Carnival takes
place. Though not an official holiday, it is the most celebrated Panama festival, and
should you have the chance to experience it, you'll take away a lifetime of memories.
The Panama Mardi Gras might not get as much attention as that in New Orleans, and
when you mention Carnival, most people think first of Rio de Janeiro. The Panama
Carnival celebration in Panama City is one of the biggest in the world, however, and
as more and more people visit this culturally-rich country, it's sure to only grow in
popularity. Should you spend a Carnival day in Panama, you'll want to book your
accommodations in advance if possible, especially where the celebrations are at
their best.
The Panama Carnival, has been celebrated since the early part of the 1900"s, and
though it officially runs the course of four days, festivities are known to start
before that. While Panama City is one of the best places to experience this funfilled holiday, the town of Las Tablas is often the aim of many. According to some, it
is the absolute best place to experience the Panamanian Carnival, due largely in part
to the inter-town rivalry. The "High Street"(Calle Arriba) and "Low Street"(Calle
Abajo) factions here compete with each other to see whose floats and costumes are
best, and as such, witnesses are treated to some of the most creative entries found
anywhere. Each group offers up their own Carnival Queen, besides arranging their
own parades and side activities. Live concerts, food booths, games and fireworks are
standard on each side, and does it ever get lively. It's common to get soaked during
the Panamanian Carnival, as large trucks are known to hit the streets spraying
refreshingly clean water on all they pass. "Cuelcos", which are outdoor dance parties,
typically involve getting sprayed quite a bit. Las Tablas is located in Panama's Los
Santos Province, and is about a 3-hour drive from Panama City.
Of course, the capital and largest city of Panama, Panama City, is also a top spot to
enjoy the Panama Carnival. Vía Espana, which is the main avenue in Panama City, is
where the bulk of the parades and festivities take place. On the Friday before Ash
Wednesday, which falls in February, the groundwork is laid for the upcoming four
days of revelry. The Carnival Queen is first selected, as are here accompanying
attendants. The new Queen is featured in the day's parade, as well as all pertinent
activities. Some of the nicer Panama City hotels are known to sponsor side events
that center around food and dancing, thus adding to the overall festive atmosphere.
Another parade is held on Saturday, and the streets fill with people and music.
Dancing at some point is almost a requisite, and should you imbibe enough spirits,
you're likely to pull a few more moves than you may have planned. All the better. The
Panama Carnival is all about fun, and so you might as well grab on and go with it.
Besides the water trucks that spray party-goers, people are known to also get
drenched by water balloons and buckets, so you might keep an eye out, or at least
arm yourself.
The Panama Mardis Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is when Panama City's party is at its
biggest. The parade on the main Carnival day in Panama City easily outdoes those of
the previous days, and it attracts people of all kinds. If you're not careful, you're
bound to enjoy the Panama Mardis Gras well into the wee hours of the next morning,
which is just find by most. For an interesting and unique Panama Carnival experience,
you might look to stay at a local family's house in the city or town where you are
visiting. This helps add to the overall experience, especially if you learn a little
Spanish before you go. Should you combine a Carnival day in Panama with a tour of
the Panama Canal and a few days on one of the stellar Panama beaches, you'll enjoy
some of the very best that Panama has to offer. If you like to party and can't
figure out exactly when to go to Panama, you might as well start planning for next
February. The Panamanian Carnival definitely has you covered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Panama - lists types of music found in Panama
Saloma & Mejorana
The Saloma and Mejorana have a distinctive vocal style, which is said to derive
from Sevillians. The most important native instruments, used to play these music, is
the mejoranera, a five-stringed guitar used to play songs called mejoranas, as well
as torrentes, and the rabel, a violin with three strings, used to play cumbias, puntos
and pasillos in the central provinces of Coclé, Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas.
[edit]Cumbia
Closely related to its more well-known Colombian cousin, Panamanian cumbia,
especially amanojá andatravesao styles, are domestically popular. Another important
music is punto and the salon dances like pasillo,danza and contradanza. During the
nineteenth and 20th centuries, the Pasillo music was an important music genre.
[edit]Tamborito
A folk dance, called tamborito is very popular. Danced by men and women in costumes,
the tamborito is led by a cantalante, a female lead singer, who is backed by
a clapping chorus (the "estribillo") that sings four-line stanzas of copla (a lyrical form
related to Spanish poetry) as well as three drums.
[edit]Congo
A somewhat similar genre called congo is popular among the black communities of the
northern coast in Costa Arriba, which includes Portobelo, a province of Colón; it is
distinguished by using upright drums and wild, lascivious movements and lyrics.
[edit]Tipico
Contemporary popular Panama folkloric music is generally called música típico, or pindín,
which since the 1940s has included instruments such as the guiro, conga and especially
the accordion, among others. Some famous Panamanian artists in this genre are Ulpiano
Vergara, Dorindo Cárdenas, Victorio Vergara, Roberto "Papi" Brandao, Nenito Vargas,
Yin Carrizo, Nina Campines, Abdiel Núñez, Manuel de Jesús Abrego, and Samy y Sandra
Sandoval, just to name a few.
[edit]Salsa
Panama's leading salsa musician, Ruben Blades, has achieved international stardom, after
collaborating with other local musicians like Rómulo Castro and Tuira. Other world
famous musicians from Panama included Luis Russell, who played with Louie Armstrong in
the 1920s, Mauricio Smith, a noted saxophone and flute player who played with Chubby
Checker, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Machito and Mongo Santamaría, among others.
Victor "Vitin" Paz, a pillar of the Latin jazz trumpet, was a cornerstone of the Fania All
Stars for many years.
[edit]Jazz
Meanwhile, Panama has a long history in jazz, beginning with Luis Russell, pianist,
composer and director, who travel to New Orleans in 1919 and made important
contributions. By the 1940s the port city of Colón boasted at least ten local jazz
orchestras. Legends of Jazz in Panama included pianist and composer Victor Boa,
Bassist Clarence Martin, Singer Barbara Wilson and French Horn player John
"Rubberlegs" McKindo. This Jazz legacy was recently reinvigorated when the US-based
Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez organized the first Jazz Festival in January 2004.
[edit]Calypso
Panama also boasts a vibrant history of Calypso and Mento music sung by nationally wellknown musicians such as Lord Panama, Delicious, Two-Gun Smokey, Lady Trixie, Lord
Kitty, and Lord Cobra and the Pana-Afro sounds.
[edit]Modern Times
By the 1960s, local doo-wop groups were evolving into what became known as the
Combos Nacionales, five to ten musician groups using electric instruments and
incorporating the diverse sounds of jazz, calypso, salsa,vallenato, doo wop, soul and funk.
Famous Combos Nacionales included The Silvertones, The Exciters, The Fabulous
Festivals, The Beachers, The Soul Fantastics, Los Mozambiques, The Goombays, Los
Juveniles, Roberto y su Zafra and Bush y sus Magnificos. By 1970, the dynamic Combos
Nacionales sound dominated Panamanian popular music, only winding down toward the
late 1970s.
INSTRUMENTS
The Emberá indians from Eastern Panama have a very distinct musical tradition
A CHURUCA
A CHIRU or bamboo flute
A CHIMIGUI or turtle shell
TWO SKIN DRUM MADE OF DEER SKIN
hand held drum for dancers to use
A chogoro made of bamboo
http://wn.com/Traditional_Dance_Embera_Indians_of_Panama traditional dance
embera indians of panama, you can hear the traditional instruments
Requinta – a single skin drum
The zau contains seeds, producing sounds when shaken.
Vocal and instrumental music are intimately linked to folklore, where “el Tamborito” and
“Cumbia” are amongst the most deeply-rooted forms.
Some of the most popular typical dances are “el Punto”, “ la Mejorana”, “el Atravesao”
and “el Bullerengue”. Other dances are: los diablitos, los grandiablos, los congos, los
cocuás, el torito, la pajarilla, the Cuenecué or pure blacks’ dance and indigenous dances.
Peasants make their own musical instruments to accompany their songs and dances.
Some of the most outstanding are: the mejorana, the bocona, the rabel or Creole violin,
guáchara or rattle, maracas and drums.
Likewise, indigenous groups manufacture their own instruments which vary from one
group to another.
FIRE DANCE…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHHSnJExvLQ check this works at
school
TAMBORITO DANCE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98i1R2tWqM0&feature=related CHECK THIS
WORKS AT SCHOOL
EL PUNTO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BZCF_alA3M
FAMOUS PANAMANIANS
Ruben Blades
Is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, lawyer, actor, Latin jazz musician, and
politician, performing musically most often in the Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz genres.
Ruben Blades is often called the Renaissance man of Salsa. “As songwriter, Blades
brought the lyrical sophistication of Central American nueva canción and Cuban nueva
trova as well as experimental tempos and political inspired Nuyorican salsa to his music,
creating thinking persons' (salsa) dance music”. An innovative thinker who has worked
also as a poet, philosopher and politician, Ruben Blades is the most recognized
Panamanian in the world.
Justine Pasek
Panama is famous not only for its breathtaking scenery and idyllic islands, but also for
the beautiful women. Justine Pasek is a Panamanian model, goodwill ambassador, and
former Miss Universe in 2002. Justine championed the cause of HIV/AIDS and
established the first HIV/AIDS prevention center in Panma. She worked with the
Global Health Council, the Harvard AIDS Institute, AmFAR, and the Center for Disease
Control's "Act Now" campaign. Pasek has since modeled for Christian Dior, among other
fashion campaigns.
Daphne Rubin Vega
Is a famous Panamanian dance music singer and Broadway actress. Daphne Rubin-Vega
first lit up on Broadway with her debut as Mimi in "Rent" with Wilson Jermaine Heredia,
with whom she also starred in the 1999 film Flawless. It earned her a Theater World
Award, a Tony nomination as Best Actress in a musical and one for the Drama Desk
Award.
Luis Russell
Luis Russell is the first international Panamanian jazz musician. Russell's band became
one of the top jazz groups after he moved to the United States. His band was borrowed
for gigs and recording dates by such jazz notables as Red Allen, Jelly Roll Morton, and
Louis Armstrong; Armstrong wound up taking over the band as front man in 1929
although Russell remained the music director.
Camilo A. Alleyne
Alleyene is a prominent Panamanian gynecologist. He performed in 1990 the first
successful in vitro fertilization in Panama. The baby, Kicia Karen Smith, was born on
December 18, 1990.
Hilario Zapata
Is a former Panamanian boxer who was a two time world Jr. Flyweight champion and a
one time world flyweight champion. Zapata had a record of 43 wins and 10 losses, with 1
draw, and 15 wins by knockout.
Roberto Lewis
Roberto Lewis was an outstanding painter and sculptor. He was an educator and
influenced the first generation of Panamanian artists, among them Humberto Ivaldi,
Juan Manuel Cedeño and Eudoro Silvera. e was an accomplished portraitist and
numbered among his sitters many political figures, including numerous Panamanian
governors and all the presidents of Panama from 1904 to 1948.
Roberto Durán
Duran is a retired professional boxer who is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest
boxers of all-time. "Manos de Piedra," which translates to "Hands of Stone" was how
people characterized him. He held world titles at four different weights - lightweight
(1972-79), welterweight (1980), junior middleweight (1983-84) and middleweight
(1989). He was the second boxer to have fought in five different decades
TRANSPORT STRUCTURE
Operated by an American company, it gave good service until 1942, when it was closed
down by then president Arnulfo Arias Madrid. The rails can still be seen in some parts
of the Old City.
From that point on the city bus service became a matter of political patronism, or
privilege, given by politicians to themselves to run buses.
What was then the Panama Canal Zone already had its own separate service with a
terminal in Fifth of May Plaza near the present Legislative Building.
In the early years of the Canal Zone the service was supplied by wooden-body buses
running throughout the Zone and on to the military bases. Old timers still remember
that the first drivers were Indian Sikhs who drove the buses wearing their distinctive
and colorful turbans.
As time progressed more modern buses took over Canal Zone routes and were equipped
with the American system of pay-as-you board into a collection machine. This service
continued under the Panama Canal umbrella up until, the time of the Canal hand-over to
Panama.
After the demise of the tram cars in Panama City, several styles of buses began to give
service. There was one route along Via España between the Old City and Parque Lefevre
and Bella Vista and Parque Lefevre operated by the Barletta buses, similar to those of
the Canal Zone with money collection machines.
There were the Rio Abajo - Balboa buses, small 1940's era Chevrolets that carried
about 20 passengers seated and as many as could squeeze in standing. The last few of
these are now antiques and can sometimes be seen parked in Fifth of May Plaza.
Another type of urban bus was the "chiva" operating between Boca La Caja (now Punta
Pacifica) along Avenida Balboa and B Avenue to the Old City.
Country buses in the 1960's were also known as "chivas" (female goat) and had wooden
bodies on truck chassis designed to carry everything from a chicken to a bag of corn
either on the roof or at the feet of the passengers. The name "chiva" is still given to
the pickup trucks and small buses used in country parts and even in the outskirts of the
city.
The "Red Devils" appeared on Panama's streets not long after Omar Torrijos carried
out his coup in 1968.
Believing that he was giving bus drivers more work he evolved a new system for both
drivers and equipment. The "Red Devils" were actually US school buses brought in to
Panama and "hotted up" with bigger-than-designed engines and colorfully painted. The
owners, mostly politicians or those with connections in the military regime, rented the
buses out to "palancas" (levers) who had to cover the day's rental and then collect their
own profit.
So began the mayhem on Panama City streets with buses racing each other to stops to
try and get most passengers. It was not unusual to see an over-powered bus sitting
forlornly on a street with its rear wheels, differential and drive shaft left behind.
There were also many pedestrians crushed under wheels - tragedies that have
continued until today.
At one point in the 1970's Omar Torrijos recognized that the "bus mafia" had gotten
out of hand and he tried to institute a modern service.
The first reaction of the "Red Devil" owners was to blockade streets with their
equipment, but they were defeated with tow trucks from Torrijos' then-Guardia
Nacional.
Omar Torrijos prevailed and imported hundreds of "Pegaso" buses from Spain. These
were classic urban buses with British Leyland motors and pre-selection gear changes to
limit driver mishandling. Many of them had women drivers.
They were large, roomy, air-conditioned vehicles with buttons above the seats so that
passengers could advise the driver of their wish to alight at the next stop without the
need for the customary shout of "Parada, parada" as required above the noise of
straining machinery and loud music on the "Red Devils."
The "Pegasos" didn't last long. It is generally accepted that a combination of "Red
Devil" owners and the "Miami Mafia" that sold them buses sabotaged the system which
ended up with giant bus graveyards on the city outskirts. A kinder explanation is that
not enough money was spent on parts and maintenance.
However, the fact that the "Pegaso" was a good vehicle is borne out by the fact that
the now-defunct Panama Defence Force was operating several in perfect condition up
until the time of the 1989 US military invasion.
Now Omar Torrjos' son, President Martin Torrijos, has embarked on a scheme to return
order and good service to the Panama City public transport system with the
"Transmovil" plan.
He has met criticism from members of his own political parties and all presidential
contenders for the elections in May agree that a system other than buses - overhead or
on rails - needs to be implemented.
It seems as though the ancient tram, or street car, was the most practical system of
public transport that Panama has ever seen.
The Moscoso administration, apparently oblivious to popular cultural traditions, went a
long way toward destroying the bus art genre when it issued regulations requiring city
buses to be painted with a colour code according to route. A lot of buses that used to
be decorated all over are now plain on their sides, but still have artwork on their
fenders and bumpers.
PANAMANIAN FAMOUS ARTISTS
The late street painter Jorge Dunn quite often painted his seascapes, landscapes and
cityscapes from memory. Dunn's works were unique personal creations, but also a record
of where Panama has been and who Panamanians are. The popular artist died of a stroke
this past December, but he's by no means forgotten. For one thing, a lot of his work
still exists, hanging on walls here and abroad. And then there are people like Texas
Christian University's Peter Szok, who has most graciously contributed an article that
puts Jorge Dunn and his work in the context of a generation of Panamanian artists and
our diverse but distinctive genre of street art
GRAFFITI ART
MURALS (INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF HOMES)
The story of the heroic effort that produced one of the supreme achievements of all
time -- the construction of a water passage between the world's two greatest oceans
across the isthmus of Panama -- is powerfully depicted in graphic detail in the Panama
Canal murals. Mounted in the rotunda of the Panama Canal Administration Building at
Balboa Heights, Republic of Panama, the murals have been a major Canal area attraction
throughout the years.
Manuel Chong Neto
Son of a Chinese man and Panamanian lady, he was born on November 16, 1927, in Panama
City. He was an innate artists, drawing and painting since very young. At age 19 he
became an arts teacher at the Girls' Lyceum of Panama, and kept teaching art for more
than twenty five years. To him teaching was one of his greatest professional
satisfactions, and a job he kept doing at many important high schools in Panama City
until 1972.
In 1952, he entered the National School of Arts in Panama to conclude his formal
studies in arts, and in 1965 he left Panama to specialize his skills at the National School
of Arts of Mexico and at the Saint Charles Academy at Mexico City, one of the most
important Art School in the region. At his staying in Mexico, he developed a great
interest into the graphic arts, becoming one of the most important artists in these
techniques.
While in Mexico, he also found his two great loves: Alma, his wife an inspiration, and the
conception of the so called “chongnetian women”, beautiful and voluptuous, though
refined females, that represent his ideal of the Latin-American sensuality. His gorditas
(fat ladies) have become the most recognizable subjects of his work, sometimes very
sophisticated, and others more obvious on exposing women’s erotic potential. In a
significant number of art pieces, he makes these women to be accompanied by other
characters, completing fully equilibrated and expressive compositions.
Above and beyond his gorditas, he is also very well recognized because of his Still Lifes
and Urban Landscapes. For both genders, the compositions are frequently based on
geometric forms that without extremely abstracting the objects, they keep their
essence over the detail, giving his art a captivating climate with a subtle blur, enhancing
a sensitive and inspiring sense to his paintings.
After returning to Panama, he went back teaching, at the National School of Arts of
Panama, and at the School of Architecture of The University of Panama, where he
retired in 1986. During all this time, and to the present, he permanently works at his
studio in Panama City. He is considered one the most important and prolific artists in
the history of Panamanian art.
Don Manuel's prolific life ended due to a stroke on May 23, 2010
Alfredo Sinclair
Alfredo Sinclair was born in Panama City in 1915.
Alfredo Sinclair was the first Panamanian artist to explore abstraction. He studied with
Humberto Ivaldi at the National School of Painting and later in Argentina, between
1947 and 1951.
Sinclair visited many colleges and other places where he could explain his work to people
so they would understand it more. In spite the fact that the Panamanian people did not
understand much of his art, in 1955 he was awarded a prize for an artwork that
included pieces of glass. With the passage of time Sinclair's painting followed the lines
of a lyrical abstraction that went from collages to soft and luminous compositions. One
of his most famous works is Mancha, which is also included in the exhibition.
Even though his works often contained figurative references like still lifes or facial
features, Sinclair is considered the father of abstraction in Panama. His daughter Olga
Sinclair is also a well-known artist.
http://www.latinamericanart.com/en/artists/alfredo-sinclair/biography.html
Olga Sinclair
Olga Sinclair, was born in Panama. Her first art lessons began with her father, painter
Alfredo Sinclair. At the early age of fourteen she participated in a group exhibition
with renowned Panamanian artists.
In 1976, she began her studies in
the School of Applied Arts and Works in Madrid, and followed a three years training in
classic designs (at Arjona Studios). In Amsterdam, she studied the Great Dutch
Masters of the XVIII Century. At age eighteen she held her first individual exhibition
in Panama.
PANAMANIAN RAINFOREST
http://www.panamatours.com/Rainforest/Rainforest_intro.htm
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=panamanian+rainforest&hl=en&biw=1302&bih=727&pr
md=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7IHATbCeFtCv8QOKyNnLBQ&sqi=2&v
ed=0CEkQsAQ LOTS AND LOTS OF PHOTOS, RAINFOREST, ANIMALS, BIRDS,
TRIBES
Panama Rainforests
http://www.everything-panama.com/2009/08/12/panama-rainforests/
One of the Most Bio-diverse Places in Central America
Panama rainforest is one of the most researched tropical rainforests in the world.
Currently, the forest covers around 58% of the total land area of Panama
Rainforest is found not only on the mainland but also on Panamanian islands. One of
them, Barro Colourado Island, was formed after its nearby area had been flooded for
the construction of the canal. The island is almost completely forested and is probably
the most famous part of Panama rainforest.
Currently, Barro Colourado Island, together with the five neighbouring mainland
peninsulas, forms the Barro Colourado Nature Monument.
Another Panamanian island worth mentioning is Coiba. It is located in the Pacific Ocean
and is the biggest island in Central America. Around 75% of Coiba’s territory is covered
by the rainforest a large tract of which is still in pristine condition.
BIODIVERSITY
Panama is an extremely bio-diverse country. It hosts more than 9,915 known species of
plants, 218 species of mammals, 302 species of birds, 242 species of reptiles and 182
species of amphibians.
Typical tropical animals such as sloths, jaguars , iguanas, poison dart frogs , armadillos,
tapirs, harpy eagle (Panama’s national bird), to name just a few, call Panama rainforest
their home.
HARPY EAGLE – PANAMA’S NATIONAL BIRD
Panama is also home to many endangered animals such as the Panamanian golden frog and
the pygmy three-toed sloth which are now listed as critically endangered.
SEE BELOW FOR
LINK TO THE RAINFORESTS ANIMALS AND BIRDS
DEFORESTATION OF THE RAINFOREST IN PANAMA
At the beginning of the 20th century, Panama rainforest had lost much of its cover as
well as biodiversity during the Panama Canal construction. We will probably never find
out just how many plants and animal species disappeared as a result of it.
Like many other rainforests around the world, Panama rainforest is under constant
pressure exerted by a whole host of agents, for the purposes of economic and social
development. And this obviously leads to the country’s rainforest destruction.
Alongside the clearance of the rainforest for cash crops (such as bananas and coffee),
timber logging operations and subsistence farming, the most important cause of
deforestation in Panama since the 1960s has been cattle ranching that requires
conversion of the forest into pasture lands.
There are also pressures of deforestation from very large development projects
promoted by governments and companies which stand to significantly benefit from
them. Among such projects is a plan to build a road connecting Panama and Colombia via
the Darien rainforest, as well as a so called Plan Puebla Panama whose aim is to create a
“development corridor” between Mexico and Panama with a host of roads, airports, dams
as well as factories based on cheap labour.
In order to protect its rainforests and their biodiversity from the ever present danger
of destruction, the Panamanian government established a number of national parks in
the country. Some of the most famous of them are Darien National Park, La Amistad
National Park (which Panama shares with Costa Rica) and the Coiba National Park.
PANAMA’S NATIONAL RAINFOREST PARKS
Darien National Park is the largest park in Panama covering an area of 597,000 ha.
It is home to a wide array of plant and animal species: 2,490 species of plants, 169
species of mammals, 533 species of birds, 99 species of reptiles and 78 species of
amphibians. Many of these species are endemic. Apart from that, the Darien Park also
houses Choco and Cuna Indians.
La Amistad International Park is a trans-boundary protected area that is administered
jointly by Costa Rica and Panama. The Panamanian part of the park covers an area of
207,000 ha. It was created to remove physical borders between the two countries to
preserve the traditional migration of animals and humans (specifically, indigenous
people).
La Amistad Park is home to one of the largest untouched tracts of rainforest in Central
America. It contains numerous species of plants and animals, many of which are also
endemic.
Coiba National Park is located on an island in the Pacific ocean covering an area of
around 270,000 ha in total (terrestrial area – around 53,000 ha; marine area – around
217,000 ha.
The island contains 858 known species of plants and is rich in marine diversity
(specifically, coral diversity). Due to their conservation value, these parks attract a lot
of attention from international conservation organizations, such as the Nature
Conservancy.
ECOTOURISM IN PANAMA
Panama’s tropical rainforest is important for humanity both as a store of biodiversity
and a regulator of global climate patterns. Ecotourism has been put forward as one of
the most promising business propositions that can create employment and secure a
financially sustainable future for the people living in and around Panama rainforest
PANAMANIAN ANIMALS
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=panamanian+animals&hl=en&biw=1302&bih=727&prmd
=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6oLATYj6OMuu8QPpmaGBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CGMQsAQ
PANAMANIAN BIRDS
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1302&bih=727&site=search&tbm=isch&sa=1
&q=panamanian+BIRDS&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
FAMOUS PLACES
PANAMA CAPITAL CITY
Panama which was built by the Spanish in the 1500s and is credited with being the first
city built in America on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The ruins are still there and are
very impressive because of the large size of the city. Panama was founded on August
15, 1519 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Ávila. The city was the starting
point of expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru (1532). It was a stopover
point of one of the most important trade routes in the history of the American
continent leading to the fairs of Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, where most of the gold
and silver that Spain took from the Americas passed through. The city was destroyed
by a devastating fire, when the privateer (A privateer is a private person or ship
authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during
wartime) Henry Morgan attacked it on January 28, 1671.
PIRATE CAPTAIN HENRY MORGAN – PIRATES WERE IN
ABUNDANCE AROUND THE CARIBBEAN WITH PANAMA BEING A TRADE ROUTE
FOR MOVEMENT OF RICH GOODS.
It was rebuilt and formally established on January 21, 1673 in a peninsula located 8 km
from the original settlement. The place where the previously devastated city was
located is still in ruins, and has become a tourist attraction known as "Panama Viejo".
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&pq=henry+morgan+welsh+history&xhr=t&q=photo
+panama+viejo&cp=16&um=1&ie=UTF8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=858&bih=770 There are some lovely photos
of Panama’s capital
PANAMA CANAL
The first is the Panama canal.The Canal permitted ships to take a short cut and go from
the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans without going around the southern tip of South
America.
Building the Canal
Modern Panamanian history has been shaped by its trans-isthmian canal, which had been
a dream since the beginning of Spanish colonization. From 1880 to 1890, a French
company under Ferdinand de Lesseps attempted unsuccessfully to construct a sea-level
canal on the site of the present Panama Canal. In November 1903, with U.S.
encouragement, Panama proclaimed its independence and concluded the Hay/BunauVarilla Treaty with the United States.
The treaty granted rights to the United States "as if it were sovereign" in a zone
roughly 10 miles wide and 50 miles long. In that zone, the U.S. would build a canal, then
administer, fortify and defend it. In 1914, the United States completed the existing
83-kilometer (52 mile) canal, which is one of the world's greatest feats of engineering.
PANAMA CANAL
In October 2006, Panamanians voted overwhelmingly in favour of a $5.25 billion Canal
expansion project to construct a third set of locks, which is expected to be completed
in 2014. The Government of Panama expects the project to be a transforming event for
Panama that will provide 7,000-9,000 direct new jobs during the peak construction
period of 2009-2011 and increase economic opportunities for years to come.
http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html live link. Children can send an
email to request a change in angle of the camera!!!!!!!!! Panama run 5 hours behind our
GMT.
CITY OF COLON
Another famous site is the Caribbean city of Colon which hosts the 2nd largest free
port in the world (after Hong Kong) and the largest free port in the Western
Hemisphere. Merchants can store merchandise there and ship it from there to any
other port without having to pay duties to the government.
PORTOBELLO TOWN
Another famous site in Panama is the town of Portobello which was a transfer point
used by the Spanish to take gold and other riches from Panama to Spain. There is an old
fort there and the building that housed the Customs office is still there and now serves
as a museum.
SPORTS
The Plaza Amador crest
Throughout the twentieth century, Panama City has excelled in boxing, baseball and
football. These sports have produced famous athletes such as Roberto Durán, Rommel
Fernández and Rod Carew. At present, these sports have clubs and associations that
manage their development in the city. Panama Metro is the city's baseball team. Boxing
has its training centers in different gyms in the neighbourhoods of the city. There are
also many football clubs, such as
Alianza
Chorrillo
Plaza Amador
Tauro
Chepo
San Francisco
Atletico Veraguense