Coco Por Coca

Herencia de Timbiquí's song "Coco Por Coca" is a poignant commentary on the devastating impact of drug cultivation on traditional agricultural communities. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a once-thriving paradise, rich with diverse crops like papachina, chontaduro, yuca, and breadfruit, which have been replaced by coca plants. This shift is not just agricultural but also cultural and social, as the community's way of life is upended by the introduction of coca cultivation and the associated drug trade.

The song highlights the stark contrast between the past and present, using powerful imagery to convey the loss of peace and harmony. Where there was once love and community, there is now enmity and violence. Traditional foods and drinks like huapuco and guarapo are replaced by bazuco (a form of cocaine) and marijuana, symbolizing the degradation of the community's cultural fabric. The lyrics also touch on the tragic consequences of these changes, such as the deaths of local fishermen, who are now victims of the drug trade, their bodies mutilated and discarded.

Herencia de Timbiquí uses their Afro-Colombian musical heritage to underscore the gravity of these issues. The repetition of the line "En vez de chontaduro, marihuana dan" (Instead of chontaduro, they give marijuana) serves as a haunting refrain, emphasizing the community's suffering and the senselessness of the changes imposed upon them. The song is a call to recognize the value of traditional ways of life and the importance of preserving cultural and environmental integrity in the face of destructive economic pressures.