Ritual Orisha
Cuban Festivals – Las Charangas De Bejucal
Along with the Parrandas de Remedios and the Carnaval de Santiago, these Havana charangas (typically Cuban brass bands) are part of the best of Cuban festive traditions. Their origin, pretty similar to the Parrandas de Remedios', dates from 1830 and had, from the very beginning, a completely religious character. According to the tradition, they are held on December 24. The slaves' owners freed their slaves who, once freed, joined the free blacks and the Creoles in the cabildos (societies that kept alive African languages, traditions and beliefs).
Once the mass was over, the black Africans devoted themselves to worshipping the orishas (African deities), playing their drums, saying prayers and dancing along the main streets in Bejucal. Their rituals had special characteristics in correspondence to the ethnic group they originated from. Thus, there were the congos and the carabalíes (different African ethnic groups), which had different spiritual traditions from the ararás, the mandigas, and the lucimíes. Africans from each ethnic group formed their own cabildos. This fact originated a rivalry among cabildos of different ethnic groups. Thus, having clearly defined purposes, they showed their cultural pride on Christmas Eve by holding a festivity.
Spaniards and Creoles living in Bejucal observed them and let them act. So, with the objective of mocking them, they baptized that group of black and mixed people with the name of Musicanga, to say disgusting and poor music. In the meantime, the others (Spaniards and Creoles) gathered in a group they called the "Malayos", which meant red cocks, or game cocks. Along with their name of Musicanga, the blacks adopted the blue color and a scorpion as their representative animal. On the other hand, the Malayos chose the red color and the cock as their favorite bird. By the early 20th century, the eternal rival groups called themselves another way: the Musicanga was called Ceiba de Plata (the Silver Silk-cotton Tree), whereas the Malayos bounced back as the Espina de Oro (The Gold Thorn).
In the Charangas, every year there is Bejucal's Drums Performance, a typical Cuban percussion band of high International prestige. Typical food at the Charangas includes pan con lechón (pork sandwiches), porcorn, churros (strips of fried sweet dough), and cotton candy.
Nowadays, Las Charangas de Bejucal is the annual celebration every Bejucal neighbor anxiously awaits and carefully gets ready for. Residents can join either the scorpion or the cock, but in any case they try the hardest they can, joining their town in the popular celebration that doesn't discriminate in terms of race, sex, age, or profession any more. Ceibistas (members of the Ceiba de Plata) and Espinistas (Members of the Espina de Oro) gather together in the town liceo to see what drums will boom the loudest.
About the Author
This guide to Las Charangas de Bejucal in Cuba was written by a Cuba travel expert from Cuba For Less, a specialist in fully customizable Cuba vacations.
Chants of the Orisha - Ayo Adeyemi - Awo Awo
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Tags: africa, brazil, orisha, religion, ritual orisha, yoruba
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