Image
On Three Kings' Day in the municipality of Baranoa, one of the oldest festivals in the country is celebrated with more than a century and a half of tradition, known as the "Loa de los Santos Reyes Magos".
The Loa (a short dramatic poem) is a live staging of the story of the wise men, from their first visit to Herod, through the adoration of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, to a final scene in which Herod , driven mad by the non-return of the wise men, is carried in the arms of the devil himself.
It was introduced in Baranoa by the Spanish priest Santiago Felipe Acosta at the end of the 19th century with a libretto written by himself, which has been transmitted with some modifications to the present day, considerably increasing the number of characters from the original 9 to reaching the more than 40 spontaneous actors who are currently part of the production.
La Loa de Baranoa annually summons thousands of spectators to the Plazoleta Manuel Patrocinio Algarín to enjoy a colorful show of lights, dance and theater, commemorating one of the most special dates in the Colombian religious calendar.
