Opening words for a course on Palenquero Linguistics (Bielefeld University) by a Palenquero speaker

Short video recorded by the author in San Basilio de Palenque (Colombia) in February 2026. In the video, Víctor Simarra Reyes, a native Palenquero who in recent years has been recognized as a promoter of Palenquero culture and a prominent chef of traditional Palenquero cuisine, welcomes the students in Bielefeld enrolled in a course on Palenquero linguistics, which will be taught by the author in the summer semester of 2026.

The message contains the following parts:

pa to ma mahaná       di  Bífele

for all PL young.people LP Bielefeld

'for all the young people at Bielefeld University'

(interviewer) Bielefeld!

 pa… kuchá te… pa to mahaná         de Bífele

for      listen 2SG for all young.people  LP Bielefeld

'for… listen… for all the young people at Bielefeld University'

ma etulé   ku     ma piacha

PL student CONJ PL teacher

'(to all) the students and the teachers'

pa ané kuchá kumo  jue          loke suto asé ta akí Palenge

for 3PL listen   how   COP/FOC  REL 1PL  HAB be here Palenque

'so they know how we are doing in Palenque'

harocho ku kutú i bilanté

happy with culture and vigor

'happy with culture and vigor'

to ané é   ma numano suto pa suto tá hundo hundo      pa ablasá

all 3PL be  PL brother   1PL   for 1PL  be together together for hug

'they are all our brothers so we can be together and hug each other'

ma prieto ku   ma chito guarumá

PL black   CONJ PL few    foreigner

'Black people and some foreigners'

asina hue

so       COP/FOC

'that's how it is'