African Religions in Cuba

Before going to Cuba, I read a great deal about Africans brought to Cuba and enslaved in sugar plantations after Haiti’s successful slave revolt in 1802.   Slavery existed as early as the 16^th century and peaked in the 19^th century, and reached far beyond the confines of sugar plantations, but my story will start in the sugar fields in the 1800s and end in modern-day, contemporary society in Cuba.

Africans were forcibly taken from many regions in Africa, and they brought diverse spiritual beliefs and traditions with them.  They crafted drums, which were central to the practice of their religions, from barrels used to ferment sugar into rum. Drumming and dancing helped diverse groups communicate with one another and to find commonalities between traditions.  Life was harsh and short in the cane fields, which necessitated the constant import of new labor and meant near constant influx of new persons and ideas into enslaved groups on plantations.  The cramped slave quarters were situated away from the slaveholders’ home, so there was space for private practice of traditional religions, though persecution from the Catholic Church eventually drove these practices underground.

Slavery was formally abolished in Cuba late in the 19^th century, long after it was abolished in the Americas and in other European colonies.  African religions and traditions had a strong following on the island, and the beliefs were reinforced by new arrivals, some of whom were spiritual leaders in their homeland. Traditional drumming became part of contemporary music, traditional dance moves and styles fused with European (especially Spanish) styles, and the past worked its way into the present, bit by bit.  African traditional religions have been dismissed and repressed by dominant religious forces nearly everywhere; in Cuba, the Catholic Church spurned its practice.  In response, African deities were aligned with saints revered in Catholicism, which created the appearance of adherence to the faith while retaining their own belief systems.  One of these “mixed” traditions is called Santeria, and it is one of the most prominent African traditional religions present in Cuba today.

The practice of African traditional religions is strong in contemporary Cuba, especially in rural areas, and is diverse in origin.  The Palo Monte tradition originated with the Bantu people (who populated Central Africa, parts of Southern Africa and West Africa), the Yoruba tradition from West Africa, Fon from Dahomey (present-day Benin) and Nigeria, Abakua, Ifa, Santeria and other traditions have adherents on the island.  Each tradition has its peculiarities, but they all share similarities.  African traditional belief systems are open, which means they incorporate elements from other religions.  They are also human-centered, which means the gods or deities serve humans instead of humans only serving god(s).  All traditions include rituals to mark stages in the life cycle, from birth to death.  Each uses symbols and has sacred rhythms and rituals.  Though many aspects of the practice of traditional religions are private, an astute observer in modern-day Cuba can see evidence of its practice in even the most public places.

Live music performances are excellent opportunities to glimpse aspects of ancient belief systems originating in Africa and taking new forms in Cuba.  One can hear elements of sacred music through African rhythms played on Congas, bongos and bells, and see movements associated with sacred dances on dance floors and in the streets.  Cuba’s tumultuous history has contributed to a vibrant, beautiful present, which would be cold and empty without the influence of its African roots.

It was an honor to get a glimpse into the “other side” of Cuba, beyond the European influence and into the African, and to hear the musicians live whom I have admired for so long.  I long for the day when Americans can travel to Cuba freely, and I can delve deeper into the music and dance of an island that has preserved its beliefs and traditions in spite of, or perhaps in part because of, its immense suffering.  African traditional religions are central to this beautiful music, and deserve the same recognition and respect as their European and American counterparts.

Shannon Edam