Anónimas & Resilientes: Experience bullerengue

From the deep countryside of Colombia’s Afro-descendant Maroon Caribbean emerges Anónimas & Resilientes, a collective of elder women singers safeguarding the ancestral legacy of bullerengue. This traditional music and dance style is rooted in rural communities near Montes de María, including Evitar, María la Baja, San José del Playón, Villa Gloria, and San Cristóbal del Trozo, in Colombia’s northwest region. The project brings together cantadoras who have preserved this tradition as a living practice of memory, resistance, and community healing.

Bullerengue is a musical and cultural practice that emerged in palenques, free Black territories established by Africans who escaped enslavement in the 17th century. It is one of the few oral traditions of the Colombian Caribbean led by elder women. For generations, bullerengue has served as a space for identity, spirituality, and collective expression, sustained outside formal cultural institutions. At its heart is a communal exchange between the cantadora and the drum, where voice, rhythm, and movement converge in a deeply rooted, participatory musical form.

Inspired by the vision of legendary singer Petrona Martínez, and brought together by producer Manuel García-Orozco, the collective unites women who had historically practiced Bullerengue in intimate, community settings. Their 2019 debut album—accompanied by ethnographic documentation and testimonies—received GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY® nominations for Best Recording Package.

Since then, the ensemble has grown to include over a dozen cantadoras, including matriarchs in their nineties. Their eldest member, Fernanda Peña, sang until her passing at the age of 106. Internationally recognized by outlets such as RootsWorld, Rolling Stone Latin America, and Radio Nacional de España, the group has performed selectively in cultural spaces while remaining deeply rooted in their territories.

Anónimas & Resilientes stands as a testament to the enduring strength of Afro-Colombian women—keepers of memory, knowledge, and a living tradition that continues to resonate across generations and borders.