The Parade of A Thousand Polleras in Las Tablas, 2011

The pollera-iconic symbol of national identity- received in the City of Las Tablas the most significant tribute that a nation can pay to a homeland icon. Indeed, the capital of the province of Los Santos has become the place where delegations converge from different corners of the national territory to show to locals and foreigners, the various forms of the isthmus women’s clothing. Whether it is a montuna, an aristocratic, or a standard pollera, proudly worn by the black ethnic woman, during the Parade of a Thousand Polleras, the population of Las Tablas makes every effort to present an event that portrays the capacity and creativity of the artisans who spend months in the making of the famous dress. The national costume has its origins in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as an evolution of those colonial costumes the Black-Hispanic-Indigenous women used to wear. Centuries later, human groups that inhabited the Isthmus took this dress as their own. We find the same phenomenon occurring in dance, music and other expressions of national culture. No doubt the last parade was a sign of the pride Panamanians feel for their vernacular expressions. Nothing was left out, as there were tamboritos, murgas, folkloric menswear, and everything else that has made the national culture a phenomenon of worldwide appeal. Cubita was part of this wonderful event, their presence on Carlos López Street, where the guests were entertained and informed about the exciting new hotel and residential project in Chitre. See you there next year at the Parade of 1000 Polleras!