Creolization: The Spanish - Speaking Caribbean

Creolization is seen to be extremely prevalent in the Caribbean as seen in the previous blogs. This blog will discuss creolization the Spanish - Speaking Caribbean region. In lecture videos provided by Dr. Gangelhoff on Cuba as a part of the Spanish - Speaking Caribbean region, the term Afro-Cuban was discussed. Moreover, Santería was explored. Santería is an Afro-Cuban religion that fuses Yoruba and Catholicism. Elements of Santería  permeate many aspects of Cuban culture including dance, music, art, and food (UCIRF, 2021). However, Dr. Gangelhoff expresses that Santería music includes the following:

  • Batá drumming and singing (specifically 3 double-headed hourglass drums of different sides),
  • Strictly ordered sequences of percussion rhythms,
  • Voice and percussion instruments,
  • Polyrhythm texture, 
  • Call and response texture, and 
  • Texture created from interlocking repeated rhythms


Figure #1 - shows the 3 double-headed hourglass drums used in Batá drumming and singing as previously mentioned. Moreover, according to Batadrum (n.d.), the largest drum of the 3 is called the Iya (meaning mother in the Yoruban language). The middle sized drum is called the Itotele (meaning the one that follows the mother). Lastly, the smallest drum is called Okonkolo (meaning small).


Source: (Batadrum, n.d.)



Video #1 - Afro Cuban Batá Drumming Ceremony with Rumbatá Arará 

Source: YouTube


In the video above, the drummers are using the Batá drums to play the Arará rhythm at a Santería religious ceremony. The heritage of this rhythm comes from a region in Africa called Benin. In addition to the presence of the double-headed hourglass drums, the polyrhythm and call and response texture can be heard. Percussion instruments are heard as well, specifically the maracas. 


Furthermore, another form of creolization in the Spanish- Speaking Caribbean are the ritual languages, specifically Lucumí (Roux, n.d.). Lucumí is the name given to the Yoruba people in Cuba. These individuals worship orisha. However, Lucumí has various other meanings. It is also considered to be a secret Yoruboid language of the Nigerian Congo family that was conserved and mixed with various Cuban pronunciations and styles  (Britannica, n.d.; Roux, n.d.). Roux, (n.d.) states that during the Santería religious ceremonies, the chants were done in the Lucumí ritual language. Moreover, Lucumí music is considered to be Afro-Cuban and is played during the ceremonies - this includes dancing, singing, and drumming (Refer to Video #2).




Figure #2 - shows the differences between a few words in Lucumí, Spanish, and English

Source: (Storch, 2017)



Video #2- Lucumí Music: Dancing, Singing, and Drumming Black Divinity

Source: YouTube

The video is very informative as it showcases Lucumí language and music. It discusses Lucumí, their way of worshipping the orishas and what they pray for. The Batá drums can be seen in the video as they are used in praise and worship. Moreover, other instruments used are discussed and displayed. The guiro, conga drum, guataca, bembé, and much more are depicted throughout the video. In addition, an historical background is given.



References 

Batadrum. (n.d.). The bata drum. The Bata drum. https://thebatadrum.weebly.com/

Britannica. (n.d.). Languages of Cuba. Encyclopædia Britannica.  https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/Languages#ref794781 

de Roux, H. F. Creolization in the Caribbean.

Storch, A. (2017). Typology of Secret Languages and Linguistic Taboos. In A. Aikhenvald & R. Dixon (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Typology (Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics, pp. 287-322). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316135716.010

UCIRF. (2021, February). Factsheet Santería in Cuba - UCIRF. UNITED STATES COMMISSION on INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2021%20Factsheet%20-%20Santeria%20in%20Cuba.pdf 


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