World Music Nov 17, 2016

Learning Outcomes

• Summarize the origin story and basic beliefs of Yoruba and Santeria/Lukumi 

• distinguish between batá in Nigeria and Cuba

• Describe the batá drums: number, shape, purpose, playing technique, pedagogy

• Explain the fundamental rhythmic and structural features of batá

• Apply knowledge of batá to “Obatala Tratado”

Batá: From Yorubaland to Cuba

• Yorubaland = cultural region of the Yoruba peoples

• Atlantic slave trade (p. 346): Havana, Bahia

• Orisa religion = pantheistic

• Olorun

• orishas (p. 344)

• ceremonies: music, spirit possession

• Cuba: Santeria/Lukumi

• Nigeria: Orisa vs. Islam, Christianity (p. 349)

Cuba

• 30% of Cuban population = African ancestry (p. 348)

• Catholic Church

• cabildos (p. 346)

• Santeria (Lucumi/Lukumi) = Yoruba + RC

• santero/santera = priest/priestess

• “authenticity”; tourism (p. 344, 351)

• **batá drums

Batá Drums = family

• double-headed drum: larger head in RH • iyà = leader; largest; “mother drum” • itótele = mediator; medium • okónkolo = time keeper; smallest

• sacred language of the orishas • tuning • Aberikula = unbaptized vs. fundamento = baptized (p.

345 – Havana, 1830)

okónkolo

iyáitótele

Playing Batá

• chachá = smaller end of drum (LH)

• slap

• enú = larger end (RH)

• open or muffled

• inaudible touch

Batá Rhythm

• **clave

• conversation

Batá: Song Structure

• toque = multisectional composition

• road = complete and distinct musical phrase

• orisha

• *conversation

• approx. 100 toques

• other songs

Batá in Ceremony

• oru del igbodu (in the orisha’s room)

• drums only

• liturgy: toques

• oru del eyá aranla (in the main room)

• singer and drums

• dancing

• iban balo (patio)

• spirit possessionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSjEccnOvQQ

Learning Batá

• rehearsal vs. performance?

• oral (vs. notation)

• iyá as leader and teacher

• okónkolo = orisha Eleguá

• requisite skills: 1) rhythms; 2) calls; 3) reactions/changes; 4) timbre; 5) songs; 6) dance

“Obatalá Tratado”

• tratado = song sequence (‘treatment’)

• 7 songs: “bring Obatalá down”

• akpwon

• Obatalá = orisha

• king/father of orishas

• white, justice, purity

• creator of world?

• batá: opens with yakotá toque

• language?

Batá: Nigeria vs. Cuba

• shape, number

• theology

• slavery

• diverse practices, but: “commonplace spirit possession is understood by drummers and devotees to be evidence that the Lukumi ritual repertoire is as efficacious in community with the orisha as the Nigerian repertoire.” (p. 358)