Twelve delegations took part in Oaxaca's first Afro Guelaguetza on Monday, a festival of music, masked dance and coastal traditions celebrating the state's Afro-Mexican communities, Mexico News Daily reports. The event, called La Rejunjuneada, was held in Chacahua Isla on the Pacific coast, in the Costa Chica region, on 19 October, the state's annual day honouring its Afro-Mexican people.
Afro-Mexican groups already appear at the state's main Guelaguetza each July, but this was the first festival dedicated to their traditions. Performances included the Fandango de Varitas, the Turtle Dance and two versions of the Dance of the Devils. Governor Salomón Jara Cruz said recognition must also bring rights and opportunities. In the 2020 census, 4.7% of Oaxaca residents identified as Afro-Mexican or Afro-descendant, against 2% nationally.
Source: Mexico News Daily
Photo: Church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca by This photo was taken by Roman Bonnefoy ( Romanceor [parlons-en] ) . Feel free to use my pictures, but please credit me a, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Oaxaca.