The Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of the Congos of Villa Mella will be staging their traditional rituals this coming 27-30 May. The 500-year-old tradition has been passed on from generation to generation and since 1941 has taken place at the central park of the community. The performances received world recognition when on 18 May 2001 UNESCO proclaimed the performance ?a masterpiece of the aural and intangible heritage of humanity.
UNESCO highlights the fact that the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit represents communities and individuals of mixed descent who believe in the Holy Spirit, which they associate with percussion instruments. Their traditions have Spanish roots, but were adapted by the slave population during the colonial period. Family ties, paternal and maternal, determine membership and position within the fraternity.
During the 27-30 May performance, the members of the Brotherhood will conduct the Celebration of the Holy Spirit and festivities of the Virgin of Rosario. They will play the music of 21 traditional songs during burial and veneration rites. The rituals and celebrations of the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit are attended by thousands of people every year.
This year, however, the event has been shortened from ten days to four, after the municipal government of Santo Domingo North cut down the trees in the park that formerly provided a shady shelter from the sun for the performances.
Villa Mella is located north of Santo Domingo, and can be reached taking the Av. Maximo Gomez.
For more on this group, see:
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php@URL_ID=3453&URL_DO