A Guided Listening Journey: Yorùbá Heritage Abroad

The Yorùbá-derived religious traditions known as Candomblé in Brazil, Vodou in Haiti, and Santería (La Regla de Ocha) in Cuba, form a major branch of world religion marked by òrìṣà (deity) devotion as fundamental to communal healing practices and knowledge production. Intellectual ideas and cultural strengths are interwoven and preserved in the songs, rhythms and dances of the òrìṣà that have persevered through centuries of Transatlantic Slave Trade and colonialism and whose practitioners have endured subjugation, discrimination, and exploitation across the African Diasporas while often struggling to maintain their ethnicities. For millennia, the lessons and stories of the òrìṣà have provided a source of emotional, social, and cultural development originating in modern-day Nigeria and Benin, West Africa. In this story, we explore how music for and of the òrìṣà has withstood a turbulent history, triumphed in the face of adversity, and is alive and well in contemporary society.

I am several years into a lifelong study of bàtá drumming - double-headed drums central to Santería practice - and òrìṣà song, and am indebted to several mentors who have led me down this path. Lázaro Pedroso, Lázaro Galarraga, Melvis Santa, and Román Díaz, among others, have continued to graciously share their knowledge and culture passed on by their ancestors and without them, this story would not be possible.

Román, who first came to the U.S. in August 1999, is one of the most influential and active Cuban musicians in the New York City Latin music scene. He has been a particularly dominant force in preserving Afro-Cuban religious traditions by continuing the work of his principal mentor in Cuba, Pancho Quinto who continued the legacies of Pablo Roche and Jesús Pérez. As we'll see later, the passing of knowledge through music across generations is central to òrìṣà traditions.

Five months into the global pandemic, I decided to ask Román about continuing my study of Afro-Cuban bàtá drumming virtually. Because bàtá drumming is a sacred practice that requires three performers in the same space, I was hesitant to ask for fear of disrespecting the learning process. I thought the inability to interact in-person might direct the focus to the individual and detract from the communal aspect of the music. However, I was met with grace and reassurance as our lesson began with joy and laughter. Román's sentiment that these traditions must endure and adapt given the circumstances of the pandemic was clear.

Flexibility and resilience are central tenets in the music of African diasporic religious practices and the global pandemic has highlighted the importance of music for cultural survival. Recent global movements focused on the recognition and acknowledgement of Black culture and music to combat racial injustices are adding a new energy and meaning to this music. Coupled with immigration from the circum-Caribbean and Africa towards North American metropolises like New York City, òrìṣà practice is experiencing a re-discovery in the Western hemisphere.

In this story we'll take a listening journey through the Smithsonian Archives to explore the roots of this revitalization tracking the movement of Yorùbá-derived religious traditions throughout the circum-Caribbean finishing with the music of Grammy nominee  Melvis Santa  whose pioneering work as a female vocalist, percussionist and pianist in the male-dominated traditions of òrìṣà music is embodied in her New York-based ensemble, Ashedí.

The rich archives here at Smithsonian Folkways house several field recordings from West Africa, Cuba, Haiti, and Brazil dating from the 1930s to the 1990s serving as a unique entry point for understanding and appreciating these all too often misunderstood and misrepresented religious practices. Feel free to explore the Folkways albums and liner notes on the maps below. If you select a map icon you can then download the liner notes or click the following album image to link out to the location of that particular item in the Folkways shop for further information.

In addition, the playlists below feature albums from each region.