As a music geek with ties to Panama, I was fascinated to read this Chicago Tribune article A culture with a lost past about Panama’s Jazz legacy. I did know some of this about Panama having lots of Jazz stars in the early part of the century, but not to this extent.

I do feel the article brushes over some of the important parts of this history. Many of the artists he mentions have English names, which meant that they or their parents came over from the English speeking Caribbean to help build the canal or pick Bananas. Their culture is probably today one of the most important in contemporary Panamanian music, with Reggae albeit Panamanian Reggae now being the undisputed king.

That said the traditional music of places like Azuero and Darien is fantastic as well. The music form Darien is of a very African character and is almost hypnotic. It is great to see on TV in Panama that even teenagers are proud to take part in this.

The Azuero peninsula also has the African influence but ontop of a strong Spanish influence as well, which I’ve heard goes way back to the earliest group of Spanish farmers who settled the region nearly 500 years ago. These singers known as trovadores like to battle it out on stage similar to the way rappers do it. Every year the best battle it out on TV over a couple of weeks.

Damn, I do miss Panama. Can’t wait to go back, particularly with this cold spell that Denmark is in right now.