Havana & afrocuban religion

Afro-Cuban religions are an inseparable part of the identity of the Cuban people. They have evolved into culture with their own nuances, sometimes maintaining rites and traditions typical of Africa and others are syncretized with the Christian religion. This means a new practice, a culture and a different way of expressing yourself.

Black slaves who emigrated to Cuba initially maintained the worship of their ancient gods, which eventually gave rise to various religious systems in which they restructured their beliefs. Thus the religious practices of the Yoruba culture crystallized in a single liturgical body which they called the Rule of Ocha or Santeria; the Palo Rule and the Abakuá Secret Society.

In Cuba, the most practiced is the Regla de Ocha, which has Orishás who are deities who govern various aspects of the world. But the most popular saint among Cubans is Changó, the god of thunder. It has a special importance in musical culture since the mythological object associated with Changó are the batá drums. The santeros perform the ceremonies in their own houses, because the santeria lacks temples.

The first stpo will be Callejón de Hamel, a community cultural project developed by Salvador González Escalona, ​​a Cuban sculptor and muralist. In a kind of outdoor gallery you can immerse yourself in Afro-Cuban culture and enjoy its musical expressions, as well as dance performances. It is located in a 200-meter alley where the African origins of Cuban identity have been embodied through wall painting, poetry, saints' dances and music to the beat of the batá drums. You will get to know a multicultural space, full of life, traditions and practitioners that gather daily to take meetings, conferences and festivities.

Then we will visit a temple-house, a religious home where there are altars dedicated to the saints of the Yoruba pantheon. There, you will have a ceremony with a babalawo, a priest of Ifá, who will explain everything about the practice of Santeria. In this way, you can be active participants and enjoy a real experience of that religion.

In a cuban almendrón (taxi for prefixed routes), you will get to the Orishas Museum, belonging to Asociación Cultural Yoruba There, you can enjoy a permanent exhibition of sculptures featuring the different African deities, specifically from Nigeria, although some of the orishas are set in Cuban landscapes. The visit will complement the knowledge and understanding of Cuban syncretic cults.

The route goes on walking along the boulevard de Obispo and other Old Habana streets until you get to Doña Eutimia, an oasis of Creole food. A small, personal, elegant and stylish palate, with its decadent edge and its romantic twist. There, you can taste dishes that combine the heritage of African and Spanish culture

© Bienvenidos a Cuba

Later, after a short walk, we will visit the Casa de Africa Museum, hosted in an old colonial house in Old Havana. This space offers the possibility of discovering the influence of African culture in the Cuban idiosyncrasy through various exhibitions with more than two thousand pieces. One of the greatest treasures of the collection are the sacred objects of santeria gathered by the ethnographer Fernando Ortiz, the slavery collection and the mask collection. You can even enjoy some of the cultural activities - Afro-Cuban shows and video projections - that are organized periodically in the institution.

Later, we will walk to the pier to take a ferry that will transport us to the town of Regla, characterized by its strong religiosity and especially for its syncretism. There, practitioners of Christian religion, Santería, Palo Monte and the Abakuá Secret Society coexist. We will cross the bay of Habana enjoying the beautiful views of the coast, and once we get there, we will visit its well-known sanctuary dedicated to the Virgen de Regla, the patron saint of the town. At the Monument dedicated to Abakuá Secret Society, a practitioner will give you a brief talk about the characteristics of this religion / brotherhood, exclusive to men.

Other places of interest to visit:

Santuario de San Lázaro: there, Catholic church stands counting several altars or chapels. Every December 17th there is a pilgrimage

Guanabacoa Museum: It holds an exhibition about popular religious expressions of African origin. They are exposed in their rooms in a similar way to what religious people do in their houses or places of worship.

© Havana Rumba

Palacio de la Rumba, un templo de la música tradicional, específicamente la de más hondas raíces africanas. Allí se puede bailar al ritmo de orquestas cubanas que representan las tradiciones afrocubanas.

Fundación Fernando Ortiz, an institution that organizes and promotes colloquiums, events, research and publications related to Afro-Cuban culture. It is located in the house where the great Cuban sage Fernando Ortiz lived in his last years.

Gran Palenque, headquarters of the National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba. Here, Afro-Cuban music and dance sessions are held.

© havana-live.com

Abakuá Society Pantheons, located in the Cristóbal Colón Necropolis, the funeral ceremonies of these Afro-Cuban fraternal societies take place here.

For lunch, we will stop at a "paladar" in the historic center, where you can taste excellent traditional Cuban fusion food.

We recommend:

• Habana 61
• Paladar La Guarida
• Don Eduardo Alegre
• La Vitrola
• Nao Bar paladar