fighters, in which the contestants danced and jumped to the rhythms played by the drummer on a single drum called the tambú. The drummer was accompanied by a lead vocalist, who sang tributes about the contestants before they began fighting, in which the audience could gain an understanding about the fighters past history and special talents.Tambú further evolved as the Dutch became more conscious of the growing slave communities and set out to control them. Stick fighting and other general martial arts traditions became restricted by law, and the traditional kokomakuku performance became extinct. Instead the tradition transformed into a performance more focused on the drumming and wordplay. The use of sticks as weapons, were instead replaced with words, spoken by the lead vocalist, who were used by people to attack another person's defects and vice versa. The ritual finished with the audience making a judgement on who had the better performance and awarded the winner. Post Slavery Era In the years preceding emancipation, the Catholic Church and their methods of indoctrination were used to further attempt to end Tambú rituals. However, the subsequent Afro-Curaçao Catholic community instead adopted catholic principles and saints into Tambu performances. Following the abolishment of slavery in 1863, the Catholic Church stepped up their efforts to end Tambú rituals. Priests used weekly pulpits to convince the community that Tambú was evil, and participation in the genre would have everlasting implications on their journey to heaven. Religious disapproval did have an effect on the Afro-Curaçao community, however participation still continued. Participants instead performed more secular versions of songs in a manner more socially acceptable in Curaçao society. 20th Century to Present Day During the 20th Century, the government further created laws to limit the participation of Tambú. These laws are still in effect in Curaçao society. Instead of trying to eliminate Tambú completely, the government enforced a law in 1935, where organisers had to apply for a permit to hold Tambú events. The application had to specify exact dates, which songs would be played, and the name of all attendees. Furthermore, the law stated that a second permit was needed to allow people of two or more from separate residences to dance together. This pushed Tambú further underground. Many participants found the laws too risky to flout, forcing them to disengage with Tambú. During the 1970s, Tambú experienced a revival, when a group of Afro-Curaçaon scholars