Red Light Go
“Red!” - screams the light - and the infinite line of vehicles on a main street in Costa Rica stop in submission to the command. Traffic lights organize, disorganize and stop the commotion, offering a unique chance to meet some brave souls; like this group of street jugglers who take over the scene. Argentineans, Mexicans, Brazilians, Panamanians and Costa Ricans present a magical display of awareness towards essential social issues, ranging from environmental exploitation to ethnic discrimination. For these young folks, a few seconds of paralyzed traffic mean a new audience each go-around. Committed they juggle in a lifestyle of resistance to the mercenary, motorized army of global capitalism.
Poi performed on the streets of San Jose, Costa Rica
An alternative life style
This time, the traffic’s journey is interrupted by one of the best jugglers in the group: Duriem Sapi, a native Kuna from Panama. He fires his poi and starts his performance to the rhythm of his inner music. Poi is the art of swinging fire circles with a small weight attached to a cord in each hand, originated by the Maori people of New Zealand.
Duriem dances and creates twisted figures and elliptical lines as he balances along the pedestrian path. It's a hypnotizing ritual that every observer takes part of. Then he passes around his "magic hat" for rewards from the public.
Duriem has explored all of Panama and Costa Rica by selling his art and juggling on the beaches and city streets. The first time he saw juggling performed was five years ago in Kuna Yala, a region in Panama, and since then, he has traveled as a street artist. He also creates spectacular colourful necklaces and bracelets combined with seeds, seashells and rocks.
The Band
Duriem, as well as his fellow jugglers, choose to live that way mainly because of their refusal to be part of a monocultural system, which praises material accumulation and thus requires mass consumption. The Argentinean, also known as "el flaco," criticizes the way people live attached to consumerism. "They don’t realize they’re working, aging and wasting their energy in the pursuit of luxuries, or unnecessary items," he declares. Dina, a Brazilian girl, joins the group riding her unicycle. She analyzes the effects of these globalized ideas and sees through the collapsing environmental system of the Earth. "People burn more fossil fuels than ever before, tropical deforestation is continuous and global warming seems to be producing drastic changes in weather everywhere."
The individuals in the band are satisfied with their lifestyles because not only are they bringing art to the streets, they’re also raising awareness about the need to be mindful of how governments treat their citizens.
Indigenous Wisdom
"We must only take what we really need from Nabguana" -- Mother Earth in the Dule language -- "Humans have forgotten how we used to live, in nature and not over nature," says Duriem, proud of his indigenous identity. Long ago, men decided that by exploiting nature, life would become easier and more profitable, thus resulting in increased happiness. But everyone is witnessing the results of such narrowmindedness. Duriem adds: "We have to modify our everyday practices if a profound change is to be made."
About the Kunas
Kuna Yala Autonomous Territory and a Kuna family
Inhabiting northeast Panama along the Carribean Sea, the Kuna people are a highly respected indigenous group in Central America. They possess an autonomous government which is actively involved in protecting the pristine ecosystem of their islands off the Panamanian coast. The Kunas have, for the most part, succeeded in preserving their culture and distinct way of life. On the islands, they live much as their ancestors did: in palm-thatched huts with no electricity. Water is brought in from the coast a few miles away, supplemented by catching rain water. Seafood and coconuts are the staples of their diet.
Kuna women are known for their colorful costumes which consist of patterned blue cotton wrapped skirts, red and yellow head scarves, arm and leg beads and intricately sewn mola-panel blouses. They are usually decorated in fine embroidery depicting animals and folk symbols. Their language is Dule and linguists compare it with Nahuatl, the ancient Aztec language still spoken in parts of Mexico, due to the poetic stylings of both languages. The Kuna people are holding on to their creative connection to Nabguana, much like Duriem and his band of justice-seeking jugglers.
-Malitzin Turrent, the honeybird herald contributing writer
Costa Rica, December 2005
Some words in the Dule language
Hello = na de quite
How are you? = Nue gambi?
I´m Fine = an eye nue gambi
Thank you = Dokus nued
Friend = an ai (male) an aia (female)
I´m going to Kuna Yala = an dulenega(se) an nae.
Mother Earth = Nabguana
Spirit or soul = Galu
House or homeland = nega
I love you = an de avegue