Cult Music of Cuba

These recordings were made in Havana, Guanabacoa, and Matanzas Province in 1940, during a field trip sponsored by the American Council of Learned Societies, in cooperation with Columbia University’s Archive of Primitive Music.

"African traditions have survived strongly, in some respects, to this day. Music and dancing of the African variety have persisted in the cabildos, or societies, organized by the Afro-Cubans. A great many of these societies have a religious basis, while others are survivals of secret organizations which existed previously on the African continent..."


Estas grabaciones fueron realizadas en La Habana, Guanabacoa, y Matanzas en 1940, durante un trabajo de campo financiado por el American Council of Learned Societies, en cooperación con el Archive of Primitive Music de Columbia University.

"Las herencia de las tradiciones africanas ha sobrevivido de manera muy fuerte, en algunos aspectos, hasta nuestros días. Música y danza de origen africano han sobrevivido en los cabildos organizados por los cubanos de piel negra. Una buena cantidad de estas sociedades tienen un carácter religioso, mientras que otras son remanentes de sociedades secretas que existían previamente en el continente africano..."

Track Listing

101	Song to Legba and Yemaya	Two male singers with iya drum and atchere	03:09
102	Lucumi Song	Two Abakwa society male Lucumi singers with iya drum and atchere	01:24
103	Song to Orisha Oko	Female singer	01:25
104	Abakwa Song (1)	Male Abakwa chorus and drummers from Guanabacoa	02:36
105	Song to Orisha Chango	Male chorus, drummers	02:41
201	Abakwa Song (2)	Male Abakwa chorus and drummers from Guanabacoa	02:45
202	Djuka Drums	Three drummers	00:57
203	Lucumi Drums	Three Lucumi drummers	00:56
204	Djuka Song	Chorus, drummers	00:51
205	Song to Chango	Male chorus, drummers	02:48
206	Song to Obatala	Male Lucumi chorus, drummers	02:37