Mystical Cultural Traditions of Sao Tome

Tucked away in the far end of the African mainland, the remote islands of Sao Tome and Principe present interesting cultural traditions. In many ways, they have been largely influenced by the origins of different strands of early Sao Tome society and colonization since the time Portuguese explorers landed on these empty islands in 1475.

Among the other early settlers were a sizable number of Jewish children who were forcibly separated from their parents and converted to Christianity. There was also a small group of exiled convicts.

Upon landing, the first Portuguese settlers were confronted with the multiple challenges of an alien climate and diseases. With no farming experience, they could not produce crops. They brought African people from Congo, Cape Verde, Benin, Angola, and Mozambique, who were forced into sugar, banana, and cocoa plantations as bonded labourers. Soon, Sao Tome also became a transit point for slave trade to other countries.

The Jewish settlers married African women labourers from the plantations. When a royal decree from Portugal accorded free status to all Jewish settlers and the African women married to them, they assumed a separate identity as the children of the land. As Luso Africans, they formed a core component of a future hybrid Sao Tome society. The anti-slavery law of the 16th century created the Forros, a distinct group of liberated African plantation slaves.

The diverse set of people groups heralded the creation of a hybrid European Creole culture on these islands. But the formation of a national identity took concrete shape only in the 19th century, with the decline in importance of the plantation economy and gradual blurring of ethnic and racial distinctions.

The legacy of Portuguese rule is visible in the culture and customs in Sao Tomean Creole society at many levels. The most obvious is the Portuguese language, which is widely spoken. The Forro, the Luso-African Creole language is also popular and contains many Portuguese words.

Christianity is the other major Portuguese influence, where the holy cross, the Trinity, and some emblems of Portuguese royalty, are national symbols even today. Symbols of local African cults and rituals, such as red cloth, iron, and wooden dolls, have an equally important place in local society.

Performing arts and theatre of Sao Tome are classic examples of the synthesis between African and Portuguese cultures. The Danço Congo is a popular dance theatre form, known for highly expressive choreography, colourful costumes and almost frenetic movements. Usually performed on festive occasions, this art form was brought to Sao Tome by Congolese workers in the 16th century. In those days, it was not so much favoured by the colonialists as they felt it was too crude.

Tchiloli, the most popular theatre tradition of Sao Tome, is a localized theatre form adapted from the medieval Portuguese drama of the Tragedy of Charlemagne. It is inspired by one of the episodes of the Charlemagne cycle, more precisely the Tragedy of the Marquis of Mantua and the Emperor Carloto Magno, a play from the mid-16th century by the Madeiran playwright Baltazar Dias in the court of Emperor Charlemagne.

It was introduced by the barons of sugar plantations for their entertainment. The performers are usually only men, who are masked and costumed in medieval European style. With the adaptation of some local elements, it represents an old form at the crossroads of both African and European traditions. 

The rhythms of their other local dances were influenced by Portuguese ballroom dancing.

Similarly, city architecture bears a pronounced Portuguese character. The city is replete with buildings of colonial architecture, so reminiscent of other Portuguese colonies like Goa. The Santomean cuisine exhibits influence of culinary traditions of Africa and Portugal. Since the local cuisine has developed on the products locally available such as tropical fruits, beans, taro, maize, fish etc., the African influence is more pronounced.

But there are areas where Portuguese influence has been minimal. Sao Tome's music has retained a strong local character. The trailblazers of Sao Tome music were the Leoninos band of the early sixties. Before its independence in 1975, the group was banned for a while for its perceived anti colonial tenor. But soon, it evolved into a popular band and was considered as the voice of the people of Sao Tome in the 80s. Sao Tome's Rumba music fondly called as MamaJamba by the locals, is authentic, with roots from Mozambique. The popular arts and crafts of Sao Tome like the landscape painting, wood carving, mask-making, basket-weaving, etc., are purely African in character and bear no Portuguese influence.

One would expect that their close association with the Portuguese at a human level over the centuries, would have totally influenced their social customs, and daily life. That is not really the case. Even though African tribal belief system coexists with Christian values, their cultural mores are more influenced by their African descendants from many countries. Sao Tome is still a society where polygamy is not uncommon, and polyandry widely accepted. There is really no stigma attached to these two conjugal arrangements. Other aspects like households headed by castaway women, women abuse, cultural mores, loose wedlock, children born outside marriages etc. characterize the local society.

Portuguese colonization had a positive impact on Sao Tomean society, providing stability and social order, which is manifest today in the relatively healthy social indicators. Almost 40 per cent of the total workforce in Sao Tome comprise women. They enjoy lot more personal freedom and better societal status than the women in many other African countries. Female employment relative to population ratio is almost 30%, while women represent 41% of the total workforce. While there is a heavy responsibility on the Sao Tomean woman, she also enjoys adequate authority in living her personal life.

In modern times, Portugal has become a strategic partner for São Tomé and Príncipe. As a founding member state of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Sao Tome will benefit with its association from Portugal and its association with Lusophone countries.