El Callao is a mining town founded in 1853 with the name of Caratal and later transferred near Yuruari River, where is located now.

Mining tradition began in 1724, when the capuchins legion settled in this area and explored it. In 1842 Brazilian explorer Pedro Joaquin de Ayres knew about the presence of gold on Yurari’s sides. Such a discovery became a sort of tail, but in the early 1849, Luis Plassard found a mine near the right side of Yuruari.

With the immense possibility of the gold exploitation, El Callao became an ideal scenery for the cultural mixture between the natives in the locality and adventurous people coming from England, France, North America, Guyana, Brazil, Peru and West India. This mixture of cultures ended up in a rich tradition with a predominant presence of Calypso and carnival parties.

The rhythm of Calypso is heard all over Western India and gained peculiar characteristics in El Callao. Lyrics are created with a especial dialect and narrating specific situations related to the people and their traditions. Instruments used to produce this singular rhythm are: cuatro (a sort of small guitar with four strings), maracas (round percussion instruments –generally used in pairs- made of dry gourds with seeds inside that sound when people shake them), rayos (simmilar to the charrasca), campanas (bells) and wood drums.

From very ancient times, the principal activity, and the whole life, in this district is related to gold activity. El Callao registers goldsmiths’ biggest experience in the country, thanks to mining activity developed in the town, enriching it with story and tradition.

Late XIX century, when a rich seam disappeared, mines were closed and the oil rise provoked the population’s exodus to other cities leaving the activity in bankruptcy.