The black bagpipe is much more than a musical instrument: it is a way of narrating the history, identity, and cultural resistance of the Afro-descendant community of the Rosario Islands. Its deep, melancholic sound connects the present with the ancestral knowledge inherited from the African and indigenous peoples of the Caribbean Coast.
In Punta Brava, this tradition lives on thanks to musicians who learned through oral transmission, without sheet music or academies, keeping the essence of rhythm and improvisation intact. The gaita accompanies celebrations, rituals, and community gatherings, becoming a collective language that strengthens the sense of belonging.
One of the greatest exponents of this tradition is Sixto Silgado, known as “Paíto,” leader of Los Gaiteros de Punta Brava. His music captures the memory of generations and represents one of the last living vestiges of the black gaita of the Colombian Caribbean.
Today, preserving this cultural expression is also a way of protecting the territory and its history. The black gaita continues to sound as an act of cultural resistance and as a legacy that invites new generations to recognize and value their roots.
