Colombian Devils
Caldas, Magdalena and Nariño
Photos by Jorge Mario Múnera
The devils from Europe and Africa arrived in Colombia and as soon as they encountered the indigenous devils, they happily got together to amuse themselves. They take advantage of any opportunity around the churches on the day of Corpus Christi, with the diabolical bands of Santa Fe de Antioquia, Atanquez and Irra, or in the carnivals of Barranquilla and Pasto or during the principal celebration which is the Carnival of the Devil in Riosucio in the Department of Caldas.
In the first week of January in uneven years such as 2013 or 2015, the Devil, from his throne high up in the rocky Peñasco de Ingrumá, right in the heart of the River Cauca Canyon, sets an example and encourages his unruly vassals to indulge in the pleasures of life and fiesta. “Hail, hail, the joys of life…hail, hail this unique carnival” is the Devil’s hymn sung by an excited crowd that rules the night with one voice: enjoy yourselves one and all!
The devils drink in Caldas.
Arty devil in Caldas.
A devil in Caldas.
Burning the effigy of a landowner in Cauca.
Spring 2014, Volume XIII, Number 3
Jorge Mario Múnera, a Colombian photographer, focuses his documentary photography on the cultural and environmental wealth of his country. In 2003, he won the DRCLAS Latino and Latin American Art Forum Prize and is a frequent contributor to ReVista. Currently, he works as a photographer and editor for in his own Sirga Editorial Company in Bogotá. He can be reached at <jmmunera@etb.net.co>.
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