From the Calendas to the Calenda: On the Afro-Iberian Substratum in Black Performance Culture in the Americas

This article presents a new theory on the origin of the calenda (also known as calinda, colinda, corlinda, and caringa) by analyzing the term from an Iberian perspective. It claims that the term should not be understood as a type of dance or song, but as a festive period in the Iberian calendar. It explains the calenda with reference to an Afro-Iberian substratum in Black performance culture in the Americas and highlights the role of brotherhoods.