9781422279793

It wasn’t simply a matter of entertainment or recreation. Drums and dance played an integral part in the religious ritu- als of Afro-Cubans. They helped believers commune with the divine realm. Although the Spanish tried to force enslaved Afro-Cubans to convert to Catholicism, at best that effort met with partial success. African religious beliefs survived, in some cases by incorporating elements of Catholicism. For example, many Afro-Cubans of Yoruba ethnic origin practiced a faith called Santeria. From a Spanish word that roughly translates as “the way of the saints,” Santeria identifies specific Catholic saints with Yoruba deities known as orishas . In any case, Afro-Cuban religious rituals helped preserve the unique rhythms and percussion sounds of West Africa. Eventually, those elements would combine with elements of European music and dance to create distinctly Cuban genres.

A Santeria shrine in the historic town of Trinidad, Cuba. Santeria is a belief system that originated in Cuba. It blended elements of the West African Yoruba religion—including spirit worship, ritual drumming and dancing, traditional healing, and animal

sacrifice—with Roman Catholic practices.

Roots of Cuban Music and Dance 13