The cold failed to deter tens of thousands of Panamanians who took to the streets of Crown Heights, Brooklyn on Saturday to celebrate independence from their neighboring Colombia.
Enrique Small, president of the parade said:
“Independence is November 3, but we do it a month earlier here in October, because there are some delegations from Panama and typical figures from Panama.”
The parade, which returns after two years stopped by a pandemic, celebrates its 27th anniversary in New York and one of its most typical figures is the sonero Willie “Panamá”.
“I, within the salsa genre, mix salsa with what is the Antillean swing which is calypso and regué,” the salsa singer told us.
On tour in the country, “Panamá” took advantage of being the master of ceremonies and brought a varied repertoire to the city.
“We will put the fruit bowl in it, we will put the peanut in it, you will cry of course, Julia of the Gran Combo, which was written by a Panamanian composer and musician,” added Willie Panama.
Mayor Eric Adams made a presence emphasizing Panamanian trading power in the area.
Sandy Nurse, a Panamanian-born city council member, marked the time to celebrate the culture, heritage and independence of her homeland.
210,000 Panamanians live in the United States. Of these, 35,000 here in the Big Apple and most in Brooklyn County.
Others, like Michelle Samaniego, were from California:
“For me it is a very important title, for the generation that will come after me, to know where Panama comes from, the culture, the traditions and to share that pride with everyone,” said Miss Panama for California.
Orlando Anderson, traveled from Florida and told us how he feels:
“I come to spend some time, meet me, visit family and friends.”
The time is five hours accompanied by spicy tamales, musical groups and dances with the traditional Panamanian skirt.
Karla Núñez Solís, a participant at the event, said:
“All this is handmade by artisans. All these pieces are made by different people and then they put them together ”.
The queen of the show, the third generation to walk along Franklyn Avenue to the big party nearby, speaks Spanish with an accent but says she feels proud.
And finally Giovalli Botello, queen of the Panamanian procession, expressed what this means for her.
“I am very proud of my community and I love to talk about what it is like to be Panamanian and how it feels.”
