Jorge Artel
Jorge Artel was a Colombian poet born on April 27, 1909, in Cartagena, hailing from a family of African descent. Raised by his aunts after the early loss of his parents, Artel began publishing poetry in his twenties and became a prominent figure in the negrista movement, which aimed to celebrate and elevate black culture in a largely white society. His most notable work, "Tambores en la noche," was published between 1931 and 1934 and is recognized for its reflection of his cultural heritage and experiences. Artel was not only a poet but also politically active, aligning himself with the Communist Party of Colombia, which eventually led to his arrest in 1948.
Following his imprisonment, he spent over two decades in various countries, including Panama, Venezuela, Cuba, and the United States, where he continued to write and work in the arts. In the 1970s, he returned to Colombia, published new poetry collections, and began teaching at the Universidad de Antioquia. His contributions to literature were acknowledged with various honors, including the National Prize for Poetry in 1985. Artel passed away on August 19, 1994, in Barranquilla, Colombia. His work remains influential, particularly in expressing the black experience in Colombian literature, and continues to inspire scholars and poets today.
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Jorge Artel
Writer
- Born: April 27, 1909
- Birthplace: Cartagena, Colombia
- Died: August 19, 1994
- Place of death: Colombia
Biography
Jorge Artel was born on April 27, 1909, in Cartagena, Colombia, the son of Miguel de Arco Orozco and Aura Coneo Gonzáles. His aunts raised him and provided his education after the death of his parents.
Artel began publishing poetry as a young man in his twenties. He was of African descent, and his poetry reflected his cultural heritage. He quickly became a part of the negrista movement, which sought to valorize black experience and culture in a predominantly white society. His poetry collection, Tambores en la noche, 1931-1934, is a reflection of Artel’s negrismo. This book, initially published with a limited run of 1,500 copies at Artel’s expense, is perhaps his best-known work.
As his poetry would suggest, Artel was active in Colombian politics. He was a member and officer of the Communist Party of Colombia and the Communist Party of Cartagena. In 1945, Artel completed a law degree at the University of Cartagena. By 1948, Artel’s increasing involvement with politics led to his arrest and imprisonment. After his release from jail, Artel left Colombia and began what would be a twenty-three-year absence from his homeland, living in Panama, Venezuela, Cuba, the United States, and Puerto Rico.
Artel lived in New York during the 1950’s, where he worked as a translator and scriptwriter. A second edition of Tambores en la noche was published while he was there. He returned to Latin America in the 1960’s, working as a newspaper writer in Panama. After his marriage to poet Ligia Alcázar, Artel returned to Colombia in the early 1970’s.
In 1972, Artel published two volumes of poetry, Poemas con botas y banderas and Sinú, riberas de asombro jubiloso. The first collection depicts the political upheavals of Latin American during the previous decades, while the latter contained poems memorializing the places of Artel’s youth. In 1974, Artel began a teaching career at the Universidad de Antioquia.
After decades of working in relative obscurity, Artel was honored by the First Congress of Black Culture of the Americas in 1977. He also was invited to read his work for the president of Colombia in 1983, and in 1985 he won the National Prize for Poetry. In 1983, Artel became the librarian of the Universidad Simón Bolívar in Barranquilla, Colombia. He lived the rest of his life in this city, and he died on August 19, 1994, at the age of eighty-five.
Artel’s work is of great significance because of its influence on younger poets. Moreover, his poetry continues to be recognized as an important expression of the black experience. In recent years, scholars have produced a growing number of essays and books on Artel’s work, suggesting that his will be a voice long remembered in Colombian literature.