The dance has its roots in the Caribbean culture brought by Afro-Caribbean communities who have lived on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast for generations. It shares similarities with the Maypole dances found in the English-speaking Caribbean, which in turn have roots in African and European traditions. Over time it became something uniquely Nicaraguan-Caribbean.
Palo de Mayo music is infectious — it is driven by drums, bass guitar, and call-and-response singing. The rhythm makes it very hard to stand still. The dance moves are energetic and celebratory, and during the festival everyone joins in, from small children to grandparents. The whole month of May in Bluefields is one long celebration.
The festival celebrates the start of the rainy season, which brings fresh water and helps crops grow. Rather than groaning about getting wet, the people of the Caribbean coast turn the arrival of rain into a party. This is a wonderful example of how different communities can have very different — and very positive — ways of seeing the same thing.
Costumes for Palo de Mayo are often bright tropical colours — reds, yellows, greens, and blues. Women wear full skirts that swirl as they dance, and the decorated pole at the centre of the festival is wrapped in ribbons of all colours. The whole event is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.