Zoom in

The “Conga de los Ripiao” is one of those popular traditions that no one knows how they came about, who created them.  It has no work methodology.  It is only known that every male child in the neighborhood should be part of the “conga,” at least for some time.  Thus said, it might seem an obligation, but it is not. It's popular idiosyncrasy: culture not written in textbooks.  

The conga rehearses every Saturday afternoon in the so-called “Callejón 20.”  The “Callejón 20” is made up of families descended from emigrants from Haiti and Jamaica who populated the southern region of the Cuban archipelago in the 19th century, rich in sugarcane and coffee plantations.  They are poor and humble families, fervent defenders of African deities and authentic folklore.

 In this context, the “Conga de Los Ripiao” was born and still lives. They always do the opening parade of the Fire Fest in Santiago de Cuba.