IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 5 ENGLISH | Page 131

Debut of Bum Ke Bum Group, from the Misisamba Association, at EXPOUBA 2010,
Buenos Aires Fairgrounds, 2010 @ Pablo Cirio
And condemn oblivion
This was the motto of the Bakongo
Candombe group, from Buenos Aires,
created in 2006. They tended to close
their shows with it, almost like a battle
cry. Bakongo dissolved the group in
2010; it had been emblematic for the
repositioning of Afro-Porteños. It was
the first integrated, Afro-Argentine
group; its members were AfroArgentines of colonial extraction who
celebrated their culture. Their debut, in
2007, was a moment for reflection regarding this presence in the public arena
(Cirio 2009a); their example served as
inspiration for other groups that
emerged in the Buenos Aires provinces
(Comparsa Negros Argentinos and Bum
Ke Bum, of the Misibamba Association), Entre Ríos (Pablo Suárez’s Tambores del Litoral), and Santa Fe (Balikumba, from the “Mario Luis López”
Casa de Cultura Indo-Afro-Americana).

initiate a dialogue with society and the
State-nation, which was essential to
their repositioning. Along these lines,
the Misibamba Association’s activities
are decisive in nature. For example, on
January 6th, 2012, Afro-Argentines organized a protest, for the first time in
history. They did it at the emblematic
Casa Suiza because of its imminent
demolition. With help from neighbors
and the Basta de Moler [Enough Demolitions] Association managed to find
assistance so that a competent authority
would review the demolition’s authorization, due to the material and immaterial, patrimonial importance of the last
building in Buenos Aires directly linked
to Afro-Porteño culture.9
I have been sure to understand their
traditions holistically, including ethnic
minorities and local adversaries of the
Euro-centric, ethnic project. Given what
I’ve found, Afro-Argentine music was
never absent nor was it ever silent. The

Thus began a new era of visibility that
attempted to retake or, more accurately,

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