The Duke and Duchess of Sussex learned a new skill on the third day of their royal tour of Colombia, the drums!

For their third day, Harry and Meghan left the country’s capital of Bogota to head to the northern city of Cartagena. 

The Duke and Duchess were greeted by the booming sounds of drums and the school’s founder, Rafael Ramos, upon their arrival at Escuela Taller Tambores de Cabildo de la Boquilla. 

This local drum school preserves the art form of traditional African drumming.

They also heard from locals about the importance of preserving the culture of Cartagena, and specifically it’s Afro-Colombian roots; “I love seeing Meghan’s big, big smile — I can tell she’s excited!”” said Mr Ramos.

For their second engagement of the day, the pair visited San Basilio de Palenque located in the Municipality of Mahates, Bolivar in northern Colombia. After a series of speeches, Meghan and Harry explored the local street market and enjoyed a lively concert featuring local musicians. 

A warm welcome

The Duke and Duchess were greeted by the booming sounds of drums and the school’s founder Rafael Ramos upon their arrival at Escuela Taller Tambores de Cabildo de la Boquilla, a local drum school that preserves the artform of traditional African drumming. 

As they arrived, surrounded by heavily armed soldiers, police officers and sharp-suited private security guards, the children performed a traditional dance.

The visit was to show the cultural traditions of the city and country through music education and community engagement, and they received a lesson on drums.

Meghan’s drumming joy

The Duke and Duchess were led by students in the drumming portion of their visit. School founder Rafael Ramos loved seeing Meghan’s reaction while playing the drums and watching the performances.

“I love seeing Meghan’s big, big smile — I can tell she’s excited!” he enthused.

The Duke and Duchess were also gifted a small handcrafted wooden boat from a student, an ode to the beautiful coastal town and its beaches.

Meghan’s fashion

Meghan wore a traditional print top and skirt from Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz, a favorite of the Duchess’, while Harry donned a blue linen shirt, sunglasses and beige chinos.

He also had an interpreter helping him to communicate.

A tour of San Basilio de Palenque

For the second engagement of the day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were joined by the Vice President for a special tour of San Basilio de Palenque – a north Colombian village that was established as the first free African town in the Americas in 1619. 

Following a performance of the Colombian national anthem, Meghan and Harry listened to speeches and performances from Palenque’s community leaders. 

Elsewhere, Vice President Francia Màrquez addressed the couple and said: “I wanted them to come here and discover the essence of who we are — our spirituality, our music, our culture and our ancestral heritage that is still very much alive today. 

“In the midst of adversity this is what has helped us continue to be resilient. Palenque is in the heart of every Afro-Colombian.” 

In a heartfelt speech, Meghan said she was “so honoured” to be invited to visit the village, and paid tribute to the community’s “incredible history.” 

During their visit, the Duke and Duchess also toured the local street market and attended a lively concert featuring local musicians.

The Duke and Duchess have been in Colombia since Thursday. On their first day, the couple met with government representatives, including Vice President Francia Márquez and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo.

The day also featured a visit to a school where they heard from students about the impact of social media on their lives, and a visit to a cultural centre, where Harry showed off some of his dad dancing.

The second day also featured a visit to a school, where Meghan spoke about her son, Prince Archie, with some of the students. The day concluded with a luncheon and a visit to the Colombian Invictus Games team.

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Source: Los Angeles Times (edited)