Culture

The Legacy of the Gaita Negra:

Paíto and the Punta Brava Bagpipers as cultural emblems of the Rosario Islands

Sixto Silgado “Paíto”

Renowned musician from the community of Orika, in the Rosario Islands. He is one of the last exponents of gaita negra, an ancestral style from the Caribbean coast that embodies the cultural legacy of the region's first black communities. As leader of Los Gaiteros de Punta Brava, he has kept this Afro-descendant musical tradition alive.

Paíto is considered one of the last natural musicians and a direct heir to oral tradition, comparable to the minstrels of old.

Their knowledge, practices, and interpretations preserve a body of knowledge that colors and shapes the cultural portrait of the Black community of the Rosario Islands.

The versatility of his compositions, their improvisational nature, the dynamic performances, and the melodic richness of his works—such as Gaita Negra and La Flor del Melón. Paíto, Gaiteros de Punta Brava—demonstrate the quality and depth of his musical legacy.

He is, in essence, one of the last performers of the black bagpipe of the Colombian Caribbean, heir to a tradition that emerged from the encounter between African and indigenous peoples of the Caribbean Coast.
Privacy summary

This website uses cookies so that we can offer you the best possible user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website or helping our team understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.