Born on February 27, 1920, Colombian Helcías Martán Góngora used his poetics to spread knowledge about the oceans and seas, while promoting social justice for the Black Latin American population. His active writing career resulted in the publication of essays, prologues, collaborations for magazines and newspapers, and three books: El romancero menor, La parábola de la soledad, and an untitled book of poetry. His poems have not only been translated into different languages but have also been used by composers in the stanzas of their own songs, including the anthem of his hometown, Cali. In addition, several of his works have been published in anthologies and analysed by literary critics.
Martán Góngora studied in the cities of Pasto, Medellín and Popoayán, Colombia, and received his doctorate in Law and Social and Political Sciences from the Externado University of Colombia. He was a member of several institutions, including the Colombian Academy of Language, the Popayán Academy of History, and the Bolivarian Society of Colombia, as well as being a full professor in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Cauca. These achievements have made Martán one of the most important authors for Colombian Pacific culture, earning him the title “Poet of the Sea.” Among his main works about the coast and the ocean are “Humano litoral I”, “Humano litoral II”, “Breviario negro”, and “Evangelios del hombre y del paisaje”.
Martán Góngora’s poetics are influenced by his childhood on the Guapi River, located in the South Sea, which shapes his poems and their maritime and natural themes. His knowledge of the Pacific coast and the tides is essential to the creation of his works, which also promote discussion about the experiences of the Black population. For that purpose, the poet turns to the related themes of nature, religion, race, pain, and death.
Even after his death in Cali on April 16, 1984, the writer continued to be honoured and remembered for his achievements. As a posthumous tribute to his memory, the Departmental Government joined the Ministry of Culture in 2020 to declare “Afro-Pacific Literature Day” on February 27, on the centennial of Martán Góngora’s birth.
