Afro-Cuban

The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community. The term can refer to the combining of African and other cultural elements found in Cuban society such as religion, music, language, the arts, and class culture.^[1]

Demographics

Religion

Afro-Cuban religion can be broken down into three main currents: Santería, Palo Monte, and Abakuá, and include individuals of all origins. Santería and Abakuá both have large parts of their liturgy in African languages (Yoruba, Igbo and Ñañigo, respectively) while Palo Monte uses a mixture of Spanish and Kikongo. Santería and Palo Monte are largely syncretised with Catholicism, though it is generally considered that the African elements outweigh the Catholic ones. The Abakuá religion is in fact a secret society for men, similar to the freemason orders of Europe, which first integrated white (Spanish) members in the late 19th century, but has not been syncretised with Catholicism and remains close to its origins in south-eastern Nigeria. Apart from Rome’s official representation in Cuba and the remnants of the Protestant church (represented by the Ecumenical Council of Cuba), popular Catholicism and independent Protestant groups have been more or less influenced by African beliefs.

Music

Afro-Cuban music involves two main categories of music, religious and profane. Religious music includes the chants, rhythms and instruments used in rituals of the above-mentioned religious currents, while profane music focuses largely on rumba and comparsa (carnival music) as well as several lesser styles such as the tumba francesa. It is an acknowledged fact, however, that practically all Cuban music has been influenced by African music, particularly regarding rhythm.

Language

Other cultural elements considered to be Afro-Cuban can be found in language (including syntax, vocabulary, and style of speech) and generally held stereotypes of Afro-Cuban culture such as male and female behaviour, family structure or general habits. The term Afro-Cuban is rarely taken into the economic sphere, despite the fact that, as in most of the Americas, black Cubans are generally poorer than whites, which translates into class phenomenon along racial lines. The political situation, however, forbids public acknowledgement of the existence of social classes and of racial problems of any kind.

See also

• Cabildo (Cuba)
• Afro-Latin American

References

Wikipedia information about Afro-Cuban This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Afro-Cuban". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.