The Crafts Master of Panama - Dario López workshop

The Crafts Master of Panama - Dario López

In local parades and celebrations in Panama, “diablo sucio” (“dirty devil” in Spanish) –men in a colourful, horrible, spiked and feathered mask – are often seen dancing the “devil dances” between “the good and the evil”. 

Panamanian folk artisan Dario López has been focusing on making these exquisite masks since the 1960s. Not only are they seen in folk parades but are also sold to the United States and Europe for USD 20-100.

Historians believe that the “devil dance” was introduced to Panama by the Spanish colonists in the early16th century. The dance was later influenced by the Caribbean custom and African mask culture. “Diablo sucio” introduced by the colonists is indeed a lively character to teach the indigenous, who did not speak Spanish, to understand Catholicism through drama and dance. 

In 2017, Dario López was named Maestro Artesano (Crafts Master) in recognition of his work on the diablo sucio for more than half a century. His home workshop is a bungalow in green located in the centre of Parita. If you are interested in such artistic work, you may learn from the master here.