The kongo cimmarones and the legacy of resistance to the established powers that exist by man.

1511 was the year that the native tainos on the islands of the carribbean were called extinct,in real,the taino took on many survival tactics to continue to exist despite the onslaught of the european invador.

Many taino commited suicide and killed there own offspring before submitting to the spanish slavers,others ran to the hills of the islands with their families and continued to live as before.

Upone the arival of africans who were mostly from central africa and the kongo kingdoms who were to replace the work force of the spanish landowners and slavers and to build the spanish wealth based on expolitation of other peoples.

Many of the kongo who arrived were of warrior clans and or nobels,as the MANIKONGO or bakongo emperor was playing politics and allowing the portugues to enslave opposition to the bakongo court,this produced not night time raids on sleeping villages,but betrayal and intrigue by ones own people,by the time the manikongo understood the mistake committed it was too late,the beast had been fed and liked the taste of slave trade flavors,which was different in each place but sanctioned by the royal courts of bantu and later other african nations.

The kongos that were taken captive were chained and placed on ships and transported on the waters which had a mystery for the bantu,since in the cosmology of the peoples they belived that the land of the dead was located on the waters and the name of the place of the dead was called “ KU NDU-OR KU MPEMPA”, many thought that they were dead,and on a vouage to the land of the dead taken by white men and white is the color of the dead,so for many they were no more on earth,or the earth that they knew.

On arrival to cuba many of the kongo were dociled to the acts performed on them,while others who’s warrior attitude and conviction did not allow this surrender of being and of essence to overcome them.

As soon that they were familiar with the circumstance they found themselvs,they prepared to escape,to evade and to run…………………..

These are the cimarrones the kongos that escaped to hills and mountains and fought for their continued freedom and survival in lands not known to them.

Cimmarrone kongos and tainos collaberated in this mission to exist despite the white slavers,the taino taught the kongo the fauna and the animals gave them the first “TRATADOS”, in regards to the land and the area they were in,the kongo gave the taino the chance to continue to exist and the hope to live and live alive despite how they found themselevs.

These peoples who founded exiled communities called PALENQUENS,which planted and raised livestock,but also RAIDED the spanish towns and settelments for whatever was needed and returned to the camp,from these people we find the first tratados and the beginning of what today is called palo kongo in cuba.

The kongo and taino runnaways constructed many mixed tratados and prendas,hidden in the camp with nkitas hidden in the landscape,just incase they were overran by the spanish.

The patikongo nkita lines of palo are famous for being born from this baptism of fire and rules of engament that live till today in many eastern cuban lines of palo and in some of the havana nzos which were born from this tiempo andilanga batalla mundo sin fin.

These lines of palo kongo are more criollo traditionalist and take on essence of seperation from the rest of the lines,they have been small communities and families which have continued the ways of the bakulu who first arrived and fought in cuba for freedom and for liberty from slavery.

The plantation kongo and the cimmarron kongo looked the same to the european but they were not the same in the essence that each lived,the cimmarron was a non conformist who also suffered for his independence and was always alert and on guard for the spanish to raid and return them to slavery,this caused the use of many treatise that the plantation kongo could not use nor could they act in the same way as the cimmarron who while being free was also an outlaw and later on even pirates.

After years of being hunted and chased some gave in other continued to exist others were killed in battles with the slavers or spanish,the ones that succeeded to live out were the smaller bands of runnaways who formed elaberate means of survival and for raiding the spanish towns.

Santo cruz del sur in camaguey providence which was called puerto principe at the time gave fame a nd way to several of these cimmarrons and palenquens that were the forefathers of the mambi army of guajiros and kongos who took on the spanish crown in the wars of independence or what became the later on the spanish american war,who was at an end by the time of Teddy and the rough riders.

The spirit of the cimmarrones was the motivator for the mambi in the ten year war,which was continued to be fought after many so called cuban patriots sold out to spain and signed a peace treaty,for exchange of lands and titles in other places.

Jose Marti, Antoino Maceo, and many others refused to compromise the freedom of cuba and of the cuban people for self wealth,this warrior essence and resolve born form the hills of eastern cuba in the stance of fighting on a foundation of honor,valor and merit is the spirit that arrived from the african slaves and tainos survivors of a epoc in spacetime not writen about in “ HIS-STORY”,but is sealed in the bloodlines of many and in the spiritlines of many more.

In short today the same actions and behaviors of peoples exist as they did before,some currents are comformist while others willnever give in.

Palo kongo has benifited form the kongo of the ingenio as it has from the palenquen and cimmarrons have left a legacy of warriorship and of being resourcefull in the eye pf the storm.

We are blessed by all the kongos and the taino that in tiempo andilanga placed the incentive to be more then what has been dished out.

Con mbele yo ngo,yo ngo con mbele,nchile bakongo yo ngo con mbele

Con mbele yo ngo,yo ngo con mbele,patikongo nkita yo ngo con mbele

Con mbele yo ngo,yo ngo con mbele,nzile palo kongo yo ngo con mbele

Con mbele yo jura,con mbele yo kwuenda,con mbele yo ngo,yo ngo con mbele !

Arriba ntoto con mi mbele

Aribba lango con mi mbele

A rriba ntuna con mi mbele

Arriba arele con mi mbele

Cuatro cuatro con mi mbele

Con mi mbele yo ngo,yo ngo con mi mbele,kimbisa mayor mayombe yo ngo con mi mbele,yo ngo con mi mbele yo ngo con mi mbele hasta mundo no mas yo ngo con mi mbele !

MAMBI, AL MACHETE !