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Kuna jugglers light up the streets

Eric Batista/la prensa

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Dago, Joel and Rony are Kuna street performers who can usually be found juggling during red lights on Avenida 12 de Octubre, in El Dorado, Vía España and on the streets of Casco Viejo.

“The Kuna group dominates the street juggling scene,” bragged one of them, referring to their Argentinian and Chilean counterparts who occasionally show up to perform.

Earlier on, the trio were members of a large troupe, known as Odule, which means “gold beings” in the Kuna language, which had 18 inigenous jugglers at its peak. With the responsibilities of family and the hardship of working on the street, the group was slowly whittled down.

Dago, 19, and his brother Joel, 16, were both born in the capital and rarely visit the Kuna Yala District. Neither went further than the eighth grade.

A cousin who’d studied in Germany showed them some tricks in 2004. Since then, they’ve been offering their art to drivers three hours a day. On a regular day, they earn $35. A good day, however, can yield up to $50 in tips.

Rony, at 24, is the oldest of the group. He started juggling at age five and after nearly 20 years, he confessed he’s ready to find more regular work. But he said he’ll keep juggling as a hobby.