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The small town of Fernando de la Mora in Paraguay was transformed into a small corner of Africa from late Saturday night to early Sunday morning, rejoicing with the ceremonial and moving beat of drums.
Dressed in brightly colored clothing, some of the locals, who can trace their roots back to the area in 1820, paid tribute to their patron saint, St. Balthazar, while showcasing their African heritage.
Every year, members of the Kamba Cua community of Fernando de la Mora (a city of about 160,000 inhabitants) hold a festival in honor of St. Balthazar, celebrating with dances, customs and ancestral traditions.
“My ancestors fought. My ancestors built this great nation, but they are not part of history,” said Lourdes Diaz, coordinator of Grupo Tradicional San Baltazar.
Kamba Cua is a historic district ceded to José Guervasio Artigas when he was exiled from Uruguay and fled to Paraguay by José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia.
Africans of the Kamba tribe arrived in the region with Artigas’ army.
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