Afro-Cuban Religious Dance

Afro-Cuban Religious Dance

    Have you ever been in an Afro-Cuban Bembe? What do you think happen in a religious party? What is the relation of dancing movement with Saints or Orichas? Or what is the meaning of a drum’s sound? To whom the religious party is intended to? Why? Did you ever ask yourself how many modern dancing style has black root? All of this question can be answered if we make an imaginary travel from the African’s ancestral culture to the present. However, nowadays this ritual has spread toward many other countries such as Haiti, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Republic Dominican and Cuba. Also it is practiced not only by black people but also by whites and so on. Their amazing movements combined with attire and domestic items provide a mere idea of its ritual meaning. Dancing accompanied by all kind of movement, percussive sounds and rhythm make an unique form of worship to the Orichas. 

    Afro-Cuban dance movements identify African ancestral Saints through its particular movements. The Bembe is a kind of ritual party where dancing becomes a prayer to the Orichas. Therefore, it is executed in the religious context. All the amazing movements are associated to the Saints for thousands years ago. It was originated in Africa by natives as a way to worship their Orichas. The movements reveal the Saints itself. The sensual movements of the pelvis, genitals and tongue represents Chango; the Saint of fire, lighting and virility. Also it makes action with arms that simulates lightning falling from the sky. His style of dance is very masculine. On the other side, Oshum is the Oricha of sensuality, love and sweet waters. Her dance is cheerful and carefree; she shakes her head to both shoulders. She uses a fan, displays her golden pulses and simulates bathing in the river. She is very flirtatious and goes for the conquest of the male Gods. Her style of dancing is very feminine. Babalu Aye is the Oricha of diseases. His dance is executed dragging its feet and feigning contortions of pain. His head leans toward the chest and based his balance on crutches under each arm. His movements are clumsy and reflect tiredness and suffering. These styles of dancing represents African Saints are accompanied by lyrics and rhythm. It is dance through pantomime, sudden gestures, jumps, twists, turns, erotic pelvis thrusts and waist and others movements characterized by the Congo dances. 

    The Bembe is ritual party to worship the Orichas through lyrics, rhythms and dance. Through this form of adoration the Saints are praised, greeted and implored to take possession of the priest body (possession through the trance). If the Saint decides to use the present priest body for a while, it is a motive of great joy. This is possible by the confluence of songs, rhythm, color and motion which calls the Oricha to recognize him-self in this ritual context. By this way the Oricha is pleaded for his presence and bless the priests with his advice and path cleaning. In order to succeed in communicate effectively to the Saints; the drummers must practice assiduously for years to master the difficult beats of the drums. Because the drums really speak to the Orichas in a tonal Yoruba language, the drums must be tuned correctly. Therefore, as the rhythms come from the drums, each Orichas has its own dance. For example: Yemaya simulates the movement of waves; Ogoun move his hands with a machete and Oshun represents the way in which she get dressed to the hand mirror. All the ritual movements are considered a dance prayer. 

    Afro-Cuban religious dance have been influenced by several African culture. The beginning of slaves’ transportation from various parts of Africa to Cuba set the Afro-Cuban religious dance basis in the Caribbean Island. As consequence, emerged the richest source of dancing in the Island by the process of transculturation among other cultures. Many of these religious dance came from villages lucumies of Western Nigeria Yoruba culture while others came from the West of sub-Saharan Africa bantu culture (comprising part of territories of republic of Congo, Zaire and Angola) and Equatorial Guinea (a republic in west equatorial Africa that comprises the mainland province of Rio Muni and the Island province of Bioko, formally a Spanish colony). These African cultures have their own particular religious dance styles. For example: The Abakua‘s religious dance is inherited from the Bantu Culture while the Santeros (Rule of Ocha) is from the Yoruba Culture. Dancing is a common denominator of worship among these African cultures. 

    Indeed Cuba dancing styles has its own African roots. It combines religious rites with holidays. The movements itself has a religious meaning which simulates the ancestral African saints. Additionally, we find all these African dancing styles in the contemporary modern dance styles such as salsa, cha-cha-cha, rumba or son. Also, the rhythms of many percussion instruments are conveyed to modern musical composition. The confluence of movement and rhythms of several African cultures in Cuba made possible a revolution in the Cuban dancing and musical genres. Nowadays people around the world enjoy part of the African cultural roots without consciously know its origin. 

Works Cited 

 

Bradford, Anita Casavantes. "Cuban Americans and Their Folklore." Celebrating Latino Folklore: An  Encyclopedia of Cultural Traditions. Ed. Maria Herrera-Sobek. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2012. 381-396. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.

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