KONGO GRUZADO GUBAN LUKUMT AND KONGO IDENTITIES IN THE ART OF FRANGISCO "GORDILLO” ARREDONDO by boor Miller “My Kongo, come from the forest, Teall you to work / when you come, come slowly, step by step to work / Teall and you respond . .. what I want, my Kongo, is that you keep supporting us." ‘Cuban Kengo song (Los Nani, 1997) ‘An uncarthly wail rose up into the star studded night. Standing in the chilly, hums air with chattering tect, T could hardly believe my eyes. Dogs, one by one, raced up to the barefoot and bare-chested young man whose how! had summoned them. The man was merely a “horse” to the Kongo diog spirit viding him. Gathered around, the pack joined thei ‘wal to his, the symphony of eerie cries piercing the rural silence for several minutes. After awhile the “horse” moved slowly over tothe hut behind the wooden planked house he was guided by Uncle Felix, the master of eeremonies and family patriarch who, at age 81, seemed strong, as a boll. Coming to defend the ancestral drums of the extended family kept in the hut, the Kongo sprit complained that they ceded repair In Kongo traditions, dogs are considered mediums between ancestors and mortals and are often depicted in sculpture as two-headed — seeing in both directions defending humans from danger by sniffing out the sources of antisocial behavior. ln this case, the message was clear: the drums must be cared for to ensue the continuity of the family healing system that was brought from Arca. The drum allow the ancestors to speak and the divinities to become manifest. ‘After this and other intexpretation ofthe spirits presence were discussed, we all went back inside. Unele Fas and other members ofthe extended family continued preparations for the drumming at midnight Iwas December 16, and Cubans al over the island and abroad were celebrating the vespers of St. Lazarus, the healer who is usualy depicted as accompanied by three dogs. Affican groups in colonial Cuba associated their homeland beliefs with those of the dominant Catholic church, and St. Lazarus was identified asa parallel to Bahala-Ave, the Luks and Arar divinity of healing, and Kobayende, the Kongo divinity. Cubans were performing rites to these powers, each considered diffrent paths t the well-being oftheir families and communities Thad already been in Cuba for several years working ‘with the families of African descendants to document their cultural practices and histories related to Africa, and my friend "Gordillo” had brought me to his family compound in ‘rural area, where his family gathered annually to celebrate ‘their Kongo inheritance, After studying African and African “American art history with Robert Farris Thompson at Yale University, and meeting Juan Boza and other black Cuban artists in New York City who were priests of the Alrican- derived traditions they expressed artistically, I traveled to the island to better understand the connections between the powerful and vibrant artwork, the memory of Affiea in Cubs, and the spiritual bases that held it all together. When I met "Gordilo became clear that he isa gifted inheritor of several African- derived religious and aesthetic traditions that have existed for hundreds of years on the island, ofien passed on through family lineages. Gordillo's best works are moving expressions of his lived experience and inner world ‘At the time, a religious boom was in progress in Cuba, After 30 years of Marxism-Leninism, in which most Cubans hhid their religious identities, now it seemed that a great majority were initiates of — iF not self-declared experts on — Santeria, Palo Monte and other Cuban religions. Encouraged by tourism, “Afro-Cuban” art was now fashionable, and facie, stereotyped images flourished in private galleries and markets throughout Havana. In contrast, Gordill’s paintings express depth and complexity in his interactions with the rites and mythologies brought by his ancestors to the island. Since our meeting, his work has been exhibited not only in the Cuban capital, but in New York City, London, Spain and Canada, Santeria and Palo Monte mythologies are integral to Gordillo's personal experience. The brilliance of color, the ‘complexity of metaphor, the symbolism of ritual movement and colorcodes in his paintings reveal much about the vitality of Santeria and Palo Monte. Observing Gordillo’s work is comparable to listening to a master storyteller recite founding myths: the aesthetic pull is magnetic, bringing the audience to the frontier of intimacy: Based on West African traditions in which the family isa sacred institution, the mythology of Santeria in Gordillo's paintings projects a vision of lives enriched with intimate Family interactions, ‘The paintings contain la ings relating to the biological as well as to the religious famnily, to the use of Santeria myths to alleviate social ills They are narrative, n Havana in 1993, it soon of mebased on names, phrases and actions referred to in the Vordbi and Kongo-derived ofa literature recounted to this day in Cuba, To establish this point, I have compared Kongo and Yorba texts with their Cuban derivatives in the notes" Gordillo's ancestors came to Cuba from west-central Africa many generations ago, Like many other peoples from the Kongo and Angola regions in this era, they were enslaved and brought to work on sugar plantations at Las Villas (central western Cuba). Family lore recounts that Goruillo’s sreat-great-grandfather brought his religious objects and ideas, {called Fundamento) from Africa, and taught his children hhow to work with them. In this way they helped creat ‘Cuban religion called Palo Monte (o¢ Palo Mayombe), based ‘on Kongo traditions. His great-grandparents, born as freed laborers on a ranch in Las Villas, caried on this tradition. The Kongo rituals were performed by init ‘only. When rituals were completed, women would celebrate by dan sacred because of the nyoka (serpent in Kikongo) who lived there. To this day, annual celebrations are held by family ‘members to strengthen the African attributes, and hence the well-being of the family. ‘As women were excluded from the Bantu-derived religion, they began to practice Lukumi (Yoruba-derived) religion, a more recent, ealy 19th century arrival from West to percussive rhythms along the river, considered Africa, Gordillo’s great-grandmother was consecrated and received fundamentos Irom the Yoribi-derived tradition later known as Santeria women in the family. Since childhood Gordillo observed ceremonies performed by his grandmother, a priestess of ‘Obatali, divinity of peace and wisdom. When she gave tambores de Fundamento (baté drum ceremonies) to her divinities, Gordillo participated. The product of both Palo Monte and Lukumi traditions, Gordillo is familiar with the myths and rituals of each, In 1984 Goraillo, age 20, entered Cuba's leadi school, the San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts, with a lesire to paint landscapes. Four years later, after studying, the activities of the National Folklore Ensemble of Cubs, he realized that his rich Family traditions were a deep source from which to draw while expressing his experiences, imagination and identity, Because Santeria traditions are filled with colors, movement and images, Gordillo is able to express its mythic histories and esoteric knowledge as he ‘experienced them, ‘One cannot dialogue meaningfully about Afro-Cuban representation in Cuban art without mentioning Wifredo Lam (1902-82; an apprentice to Pablo Picasso) who initiated the genre, and Manuel Mendive (b, 1944), both of whose works are found in major international collections. Both also had personal as well as ancestral relationships to Santeria traditions. One sees their influence in Gordilo’s works; For example, Picasso's Gir in Front of a Mirror is a visual referent for Gordillo's Madre ta sola. In addition, Gordillo has learned from the works of Cubans Roberto Diag (1920- These fundamentos belonged to the 1955) and Pedro Pablo Oliva, as well as the impressionists and expressionists of Europe: Manet, Monet, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Matise and Vlaminck, Forging his own path, Gordillo's primary contribution to Cuban art to date ing very specific esoteric knowledge to personal experience in arresting visual statements, For example, Diago's Abanico (1945), depicts 2 peacock feather fan on a yellow table, Gordillo’s Ochiin Kole Kole is reminiscent of Abanico in its use of a peacock fan and yellow, but is much further developed and complicated in its layering of specific esoteric symbolism, demonstrating an informed By looking at examples of Gordill's work and listening, to his statements about their personal meanings, one learns ‘much about the centrality of African-derived religion in the lily lives of many contemporary Cubans. A key theme of ‘these paintings is the insistence that two specific strands of sthnic identities tied to Africa maintain their integrity le works Franoseo “ordi” Arecond and sure, ‘mene wn espn ame Kongo rons ie authors nels forth rice ar pesto onthe journals wobpagn at ‘hampton ey/museur/ puesto rimFak reno oni 1999 on get ia ‘oni LANA I Cuban theotogy dried fom Aiea, each dint is sad to ‘own spocific things: the ocean, ners, grin, res, drums, foods, colts, animals. This moans that the thing “owned” is within thoi {omain and powers. The Kea of cunership advises morta to respect the domain of the divnities, which includes the natural word. in (Cuban Lukuri myolog. Yemays is known as the “owner” of water, she represents the saa, the plane's Iie souee, and # considered the ‘mother ofall erisas (Gti). 1 haya od i my Belly hus, “hus spoke Yemaya and from her womb came the riers, the orshas, ‘and al that es on Earth, Tho work Omi Lina is made for Yemays. Blu, Yemaya's colo predominates. The fh, 0s wel asthe seven coune sels, epresents ‘Yomaya. The Back har flowing behind the neck suagests the movement of te waves, ‘Upon fl intiation, Santeria devotees recoWve a Luka name. ‘when Goa’ mather “made Ocha” (became a il intiate), she recenied the name Omi Lana, “the waves ofthe sea.” Inspired by Ns mothers ination, this work depicts what Gordo desenbos a The fo0e of a woman who could be ether Yemayé or my ‘mother, whe I adore and love. Ths mask, emerging rom the sea, represents Yermaya, butt identiy ft more ith iy mother. Is a face tha is “bom,” just as an ora is “oom” at the hour of nation in ths lig. Dine beings emerge from her boc Just a code shes ‘ate the medium of communication between the ends ‘and man in Santeria divination, the epee sho yes are ‘symbols ofthe power to see beyond the mundane, The ‘rows pointing down ad up indicate boundaries between the sea and the eath, between humans and the ors They mark the place where devotees eonimune with the ods though nual exchanges, The arows representa pact between devotee and orisha "You ge me (health and Slrengt) and ave you (devotion and respect” Gordo uses crosses and circles 2208) - symbols of addition ‘and emptiness ~ to ineate that which brings postive spits and Inuences, and tat wich bangs negative spits and fluences. ‘These are key symbols of Palo Mente, a Cuban eign of Kongo eration. Within Cuban-Kongo symbolism spits are represented ty thor seranues, designs which ony the tertones fram whence they come. In Afncan ang Aliean American traditions, reams are eonsicered {a fom of communication with the ancestors. Gora told me that Be learned about his family history tough both stoning and deme: ‘The legends my mother and grandmother tld me about the famiy cetemonies in Vila Cara inuenced my imagination, Other images come to ny mind that seem to have bees sent by my ancestors in ansuer to my doubts, 98 tal that which | di not Ine, facinating my projection ofthe stones told to-me by my paren, Or Lana vs about Yemaya, ut ithas elements oF Madre Agua {Mother Water! Mam Weta ‘of Mayombe. | mix them beeause of my immediate fais ‘wansit fom Mayomivetadivons to those ofthe Yer [aide tom the tse of crosses, I elect Mayombe: culture in this Work through the dark, mystic atmosphere. Yorba ‘culture predominates inthis work howeves, trough the use ‘of ight which gies the sonsation of bth Following Cuban watlion, Lukuni culture is more open, cevoverted, using brian color, wile the Kongo is darker ts ractilonor intiverted, more jealous oftheir secrets. Gordo reflects ‘hese ideas by contrasting brant color with an obscure atmosphere, Te lght behind the figure comes om the depths ofthe sea 95 an offering fom the goddess toner new daughter, ‘Omi Lina,” ging her health, prosperty and a path for er now Mo. The Wes iteracven wth ght Dives, eens an yellows, ging the appearance of a eam soa, as Yom an be at tes when she fs content wth her “chen The fsh on ner ead becomes various ater fh al symbols ofthis goddess, fein rom het head. They ae balanced on the le thea in Lukum, Because the let “eats” and “receives” the Onshd and its secrets 9 ceremony. Among the rites performed! curing Santeria tiation are those known 2 “teresting” and “ging food” to the head. The “guardian “ange” (orth) of a person is also “ed” on the hea of the devotee, Fish, as well as doves, are important animals or these ites, although Coconuts and other igediens are aso used, following the indications ‘of the orshd, The person who acts as godparent in a Santeria iitition uses ther fundamento to consecrate the nvtate, creating a ‘al bond between them, Gordo tld me: The person who “erowned my mother with Ocha wos @ “caught” of Ochi [goddess of riers}. Therefore, ‘mother was “bom from 2 fundamiento of Ochi, a goddess closely related with Yomayd, bocause the river ends in the sea. My mother is thus a daughter of the two waters, because figuratively, ifn one hand she has Yemaya, in the other she has Oct,CHUN KOLE KOLE ‘chin Kol Kok, isa our de force symnesiaing Govao’stove fortis mother as wel as his recened ancestral wadion of Sati, thin the conte of his eubaniga (Cuban dent). tnspited by his mothers cansecration by @ phestess of Ochi, the work juxtaposes ‘Several layers of metaphor fom both Cathaiism and Santeria, In the 1940s Cuban scholar Femando Ortiz describes the process of transcufturation (ross fertitzation) whereby a Yori dit ike (chim became associate wath a Catholic sant tke La vigen deo Caridad del Cobre (the ign of Chart). Ora's massage was that both Nad contributed tothe formation of a national cule. The ign of Chany was a symbol of Cuban exture for independence \warors — who were the majoaty black — during the wars against ‘Spanish domination in the 19th century. Inthe 1920s, the Veteran's ‘Assoriation succeeded in having, er declared Cuba's pation sant by the Vatean (Berter-Rojo 1996; 54). Gordilo'sabilty to seamless merge the ideas of mother! godéesy nation, 35 wel as aude 10 many tsoterc symbols of Ochi, in an aesthetically anesting stat signals the actly of a synthesing me connected to doxorous Nand, It ‘aso lusrates the perspective of many Cubans that the powers of ‘Ociin equal those of the Virgin, and thatthe aby to recognize tis isinerent in assuming a contemporary Cuban national deity. “he Cuban orishas belong to a mythic fami, he bonds of whch ae reinforced drng nual, Santeria inites recewe several orchas turing intaton, each wth unique properties that may be evoked a5 the need aise, When Gorilo's mather was “crowned with Yemaya, she aso “Yeoeted” Ochi. Ths work represents the avatar of ner (chin, called Hols Kote Layer upon layer of metaphor in this painting maintain clear boundaries, even as they overlap, creating a whole that could be ‘described as a "national enti.” Here we find Cuba's pation Saint, La Caridad del Cobre, juxtaposed with Ochi, impiyng that their identities ate not merged, But conversant — in dialogue Fancy edna hin a 1998 sep on cans axar ‘as in the Cuban saying, “eanjunto pero no revuelto" (toqether but ‘not mixed-up). ole Kole means vt, the messenger bi of Ochin. Dewees ‘of Ochin know that tis powerful auaar 1s one where she “cra in the mu ofthe gly", and walds covered in din, because her min Inks th death ge her vor strong powers Howeser, the wuiture s not vSualy represented, Instead we see the scintilating, Seductive, Ochin that enlvens, and who al praise ‘hen she appears unig her abebs (an) of peacork feathers. The ‘entrl image, in which Rer face appears, represent a fart made wit 4 peacock feats, a symbol and atnbute of Ochi. The fan's cols Contribute to the predominant yellow — Octn's emblematic coir latch symbouzes hone, the nectar tat se uses to soften her loves "Nuestra Senora a6 la Caridad (Out Lady of Chany) 6 associated vith Dehn; bot "belong to the “sweet” waters and dessin yellow ti Gandad's profile fs fund undulating in this wrk nthe shape of| ‘bell made with couries. Bols are utized by Ochn’s devotees in Order to imioke her Also, the ball creates the idea of @ cape, a oak tf the wg. Ths conk saz the eaeied dress of Ochin Kot Kol, Aocording to one patakin (ong myth), Because Ochi performs her deepest work n “the mue of the gly” she constandy wastes her ‘ress, whieh has lst ts yellow cob. ‘One ean also see a crescent maon made with cowios. Tho crescent moon 9 classic symbol ofthe vgn, a well a an attibute ‘of Ochi recehed by Per ntiates upon ter consecration. At the bottom ies the shelton of a gat, Otin’s prefered foo. This imoles that the witure has already eaten, thatthe goddess has recehied he feng, The sholeton is n the form ofa canoe (also a ‘Symbol of La Canad), ening the sensation thatthe goddess pages ‘long the mer. At the bottom appears Elegud — who lke Goro “admires the diyrenner feu pra oo rs) 193 seo ger waar BO PARA Ml HU to para mi hifo (sare for my som) dope an dbo, a protective rua! based on sacice that a comerstone of Santeria Practice. When a devotee has @ problem — ranging in gat from 1 eaudt toa fe ensis — they normally seek adice from a cnet. Aer dhination, an ébo is prescribed based on the oracle. In this ‘case, Gorii's mater sagt dination When her fourrmant fad was near death. She cared him to.a bebo (an Its einer the Santeria reigon) to diagnose the illness. They eames that (Changé ithe thunder god) was Goes protective cunt, Because ofthis, Chang's red color predominates. To defend the chi, bo (sacrifice) was peared. This printing reiets Gore's imaginative remembering of ths €bo aed by his mather’s account. Init, a chikd ‘peas inside a bubble Suroundod by the movement of the bo, hich dspeted the har. The bubblo suggests th protected milau In which the chit wil Gevelop. Tho ingredients and animals uized In the ebo are represented; a rooster and a hick revolve around the ‘irl to rid the arayé (sickness) to detach the chi from Ha (eth) ‘and to make way fr 6 arhd well-being tral: the fortune oF ing, lie). A kind of conceptual artist, Goro told me, “I dont seek to ahi acts in themselves, but the concepts behind them. ‘The 6bo i situated in te bush (el morte), the place where one encounters the powers of the dnites, and. where many oftheir sactioes and offenngs ae let. The zane of white reflects the ache (power received by the chil, tram the eat, trom the bush and fom the orishas. The artowe potting downwards represent the negative forces cared ito the earth by the work of the ébo and the powers (of Chang6. The white arous represent postive forces, auartng to compete thet objectve. Gordo expainec: | lize the gsabatos a crooked sto, a too of some osha} to symbolze the support of other nies. Although Changé was responsible forthe ébo, other eishis participated, as well asthe spits of my ancestors, my guides and protectors. The presence ‘ofthese spits is refected inthe Mayérbe signatures anc i the animals: the serpent, the wal ear and the eetinede ‘Goro ropresents his Kango ancestors with symbols relate to thoi religous vaations. Yet the rte practice inthe paintings Luka. bo ara mi hjo demensirates how Atean ethacties are estingushed in ‘Cua, and now practice of ane religion can reinforce and complement that of anathec awn ei ends eet 1998 enfin ae 2a" eoHu a chy is major divinity in Lukumt religion. He isthe frst to eat from a sacrifice, and to receive offergs and pettons, wnieh he then ‘cares to the appropriate pomes. He is the only one able to open ‘and close the patra, and has multple avatars. Tis Echu is ot represented in red and black, the colors commoniy used by artists to paint him. The image has three couies, th sacred number of Elev {another name for Eu), The conries ate to eyes and tho mouth, in other words the medium of communication of Ue oss. The stones use! to make EchurElegué are sougit in Ue bush, in a rer, inthe sea, or wherever the “saint” indicatus rough divination. Upon reaching an appropriate stone, a santero wil perform dination befor itt see whether the stone accepts its nial fate ‘he stone depicted was taken from the sea, ts vansparent ‘agua colors show is relationship to YemayS. The color, symbols and fatibutes te us that tie Echu was erated! to werk wth Yemayé the stone Is shaped lea sea conch, the mouth has the sihouete of @ Whale. An anos, based on a rival “signature,” represents the sine of ‘a smoked fish, mphing tat the sacfies offered to Eegus has Been ‘onsumed, this accepted, Gordo told me: ‘his Echu represents a person ina state of concentration, |When a person confionts the gots — to consecrate them, oF to-ask for ns oun benef of fo that of his fay — he needs to concentrate on what he wants, on what means to ask a 00 for wel-being | represent Echu in a serous fom, as the fatrer of ths relgjon, | depict the personification of the orshis because, flowing their pataknes, some were once human beings, just as others were animals efor, ‘The Cuban pantheon of orisha is considered a sacred famiy and often antropomorphized. In West Aca, the osha sometimes {cok the form of humans, animals, or bodies of water, for example, (a once took the form of a water buffalo, In this panting, Gordo conveys that Echu, although eeated from stone, 3 ling, sentient bang eiaurrony ounuseuRLeLEATONTaco inde te de he) 1294 eye on sper "aie" EL TABLERO DE IFA (THE IFA TRAY) Win the vast iterate ofa, the odu (chaptee, “Orgunda sa," counts the encounter of Oches (god ofthe hunt) wth Ogsin (God of war and ion). The best of hunters, Ochos's arrows never faled ther mark. Nevetneess, Ochosi cous never reach his prey ‘rough the dense vegetation. n desperation, he went to see Ona (god of dination), who advised him to make ébo (sacsfice).Oxin had similar probiem: although no one eould thes the bush faster than he, Ogin could never hal his prey. Orla instructed hm to ‘make ébo. So it was that both rivals went tothe bush separately 10 carry out It's advice. As Oxin slept agaist a tre, Ochos: passed by and carelessiy dropped his éoo on top of Ogi. battle ensue but ater Ochos pleaded forgiveness, they sat dao to talk about ‘their problems. In this momenta deer passed by, far in the woods ‘and fest as thunder ches! let his arto fy, plereing the door the ‘eck. “ou soe?,” said Ochos, “tcant reach him. By the te work ny way through the vegetation, the vultures have eaten him,” Opin _7a0bed his machete and rapidly openod a path tothe deer, and they Shared the catch. They went to Ora, made a pact, and have worked together ever since In this work Opin and Ochs! are represented with deer anters ‘and an fs tra, implements used by Orua to perform the dbo. Because oftheir union, today i Cuba one finds the symbol of Ochos), ‘Bow and arto, inside the prenda (eceptacle) of Opin, where ns ‘secrod objets are ound, The If tray ts the medum used by Oa for aviation. The yolows and greens ae colors oft. Through the use of texture an Colt, beads usod by devotees, as wel asthe pathways and the bush ‘mboled. Ne TERNAL EW OF ARIE AMEREA ART ancient 16 nto (Noemte 1) 1201 eye oan Dinar 416 DE NOVIEMBRE (NOVEMBER 16) This work represents Agayi-Sol, the ois of volcanoes. Nest to him isa Ceba, a tee sacred tothe Cuban Lukim, that they renames loko. Every November 46, St. Chrstophers day, a public ceremony 's held n Od Havana where the puble cles @ Coba, and then vist the nearby church of St Chistopher, Because the Yori in Havana associated ther Orishé Agay with ths sain, and thor nomesang Inoko tee wih the Cota, they began to bing thee drums and dances ‘ut on this day to celebrate Aga. Recaling the eng dances of Santeria, here Agay is cxcied by many orisha during the celebration of his dayFrain creado Liriano ud ag te ot) 1993 saegiconpaper ‘iat LIMPIANDO LO MUNDO (PURIFYING THE WORLD) Tis work demonstrates how Santeria and Palo Monte tures ‘an transcend their teal ensonment and speak to global ssues. Ths ably i one eason thay have Become practiced by Cubans ana tne ‘hon-Gubon godin on al continents, ‘tears whe ved in Cuba as slaves were batted fom receiving ‘educations they didnot speak the king's Sparish Instead, they {eveloped ther oun ways of speaking Spanish based on the fexperiences, ane often mined nth Yor or Kongo tems. The tiles ofthese two works reflect this form of speech, just as ts theme might feet ther way of seeing the world. Here, the gendered articles ‘e! or ta are transtormed too, reflecting the lack of gender differentiation in the Yor language. AS Aiican-descendants learned to speak ‘Spanish, they continued speaking thei Homeland languages nual contexts iden tothe larger society During Santeria itary, devotees ask the osha to banish dno (sickrss). of (ss) (unnatural deat), a tage, e76 (wan tka (epics) in order to mprowe thot extent situation, ‘Tis acts accompanied ty an ébo (rita cleansing). "Puring the Wor” represents an doo where elder santers (ith black proies), companies by ther Eau cancestal spits with white proties) Fivally cleanse the worl. They use plumed animals (a roster and 2 ‘dve) wi petitioning the gods 1 drive avay the asorbo (misfortune, bad luk). One se Elegua, who opens al roads, represented as 2 ‘smal chill tthe Nght, a Santer feans upon the ground together vet is Egun. They invoke Oroia, a avy that es in the eah's core, seeking ns powers to suppon this act. legu hoi the earth roectvey in his arms. Many signs and attributes employed by the vines to Date ev are depicted, Goel: In this wor | eect my desie tof the world ofthe evi surrounding i, fom the unnecessary deat caused by var, fom the sickness and epidemies sprung from laboratory expenments, from eorupion ana vie, fom al hat which haems the we being ofthe earth an its chien Though color and texture, | reflect the free and magrtude ofthis dbo. The movement of ines and ques, the expression fof the faces ae! animals, a5 wel as the corvast of gk and Shadow, creates an atmosphere related t0 the niual act, svn the sensation that the fees of pod answer the cal of the prayers. In Cuban Yous mydrolgy all ores are personified in the center appears the pesonfication of ev leaving the earth Asie from mholog, even one powerful man with ertoncous ldoas and wsions ean destay We wellbeing and prosper of a avon fing i ith osorbo Fein Se ents Bee Ks) 198 soc oncas soa EL BESO (THE Kiss) ‘Some patalsnes tl that Olokun, gp ofthe depths of the seas hati: man, naif ish. According to others, Olkun is woman, a sen, although Otokun remains undefined because whe often “comes down (aemves to the ceremony) masied Olokun embates those aspects of the sea tomyng and fori to humans. According tothe It 06 “iraso Orgunda,”n order to demonstrates pose, Oiokun wonte to “claim the lan for the sea,” that Ito level te ln withthe ath ofthe sea, to dronn humanity and all ye animals. Hence Obata Hed ‘loki down tothe bottom ofthe sea with seven chains, Goro: ‘My intention isnot to reflec te patakines that surround this goddess, which represent her 2s hal.weman, hattman. Instead, she is a woman infve, tt of her chains and tes, possessed ‘by the ove of Ogin, who offers har a meton an a white chicken. The melon, coveted by Yemaya, becomes a being who Ceamtemates the Ks, The chicken, who according to Yoru, mythology Was destined fo create the earth, serenely obsenes the amerous relations of these guardians. Ove ofthe three Eleguas seen here (the one witha human form] represents @ manne serpent that accompanies Olokun inthe depths ofthe ‘ocean. | use arrows, extracted from Banta itual signatures t0 ‘evoke the movement ofthe sea | vie texture f0 sve the Sensation of rocks and coralFrc" Aen Haier (0) re note) 198 scion eer MADRE UNA SOLA (ONLY ONE MOTHER) Mache una sata (Only one meter depicts idea ove between ‘mother apd son, myatologzod trough reference to the lve betwoon two orishas: Changi son, and Yoraya’ mother. Te encoon that ‘evelopes their embrace isthe mother’s womb, as well asthe placenta, Ue white Ussuo that, if sill surounding the emoreng ‘ev-bor, sigals good fortune. The idea ofthe coeoon dere om Santeria tual, where new iniatos dress themsotes in white for 12 ‘moris in an enactment ofrbithing. Just asa eid son Inthe placenta of ts mother, the inate i redo, along wth his or hee ‘tisha. Again, Goro offers ample material for contemplation by placing layer upon layer of metaphor, Blue predominates, esleng Yemaya. Inthe eeatey, two figures ‘2 mother and her chill — embrace. On hee head is Teather that '5 atthe same time a head wrap. The seven white feathers on her feck are relate to Yemays, Gordo ‘The white color represents “putt” Because the love fs pur. ‘he mosner embraves the eacaon fieny nd securely; ths coco her womb. Te face ofthe son reflects tanqulty and security. With his ight ‘am he bis her to him an embrace that doesn't qute ence 2130 but intends to. The lft arm covers her head, protecting her from the wickedness ofthe wold, represented by the rad, white and ‘ie static above their heads AAS a son | nave expressed ll the respect and love I hald for ‘ny mother, that at times I cant express with words, Dut wih {2c The patakin | represent here speaks ofthe reciprocal ve between mother and son, or the love between Chango and Somaya. tis told that Chang ent know is uue mother When he artwed to Oy6, Nigeria, the land wire he later became ‘ng, he encountered Yeriaya and felin love with het. Bocause she knew that he was her son, she tld him to meet her in the ‘50a, with the idea of castigatng him. Just at the point of is. ‘roving, Obata the adoptive parent of Changs, appeared and revealed that his tue mother was Ue “owner” of te sea, Since thon the god of fie respects and loves Yeraya Achat [the avatar of Yemaya where she i the mother of king] as an “om [son] loves his mother.” As my mother is a “dougter” oF Yemayé, there's reason to place in Madre una sola two Agus, four faves; Yemayé and Chango, my mother an 3Fcc Cail rondo Sly tut Bl (ting het ds) 190 'SALUDO AL. TAMBOR BATA (GREETING THE BATA DRUM The white color emerging rom the instrument represents the ’A “son of Changs performs miforbsie (owing down) before —_aché (sacred power of the drum whieh bates the “son” of Changs. ‘And, the osha of the drum. Accorsing to mythology, Chang ‘Aoove and net 0 the bat is 2 ce representing Anca — wn ‘and the Bata drum are intimately related. Te Bata depictes is four earcnal points — the origin place ofthe ons and their here contains Ad, the “sacret” of the drum, that onl Changs traditions. Behind the dum ia myste aurosphere, with crosses, possesses. MoribSle fs 2 ritual gocting, wivere the devotee hes eles, arrows and other symbols ofthe diwntes, who come to the prone before ether a conscerated drum or an elder santero, vith cal ofthe bata drum, head on the Noor and arms atthe sides, The bata is used to "bring ‘lun the saints” (all the oss), to present an jaws (a recent inate) to the community and to eniven the wemieres (festive ceromonies)- {ior roa Rocko Felow alIRADAG w New York Ohi Ressarch fortis arilo was funded bythe National Endow»nent or he Humantics rough the Schomburg Genter for Research Black Caltue's Scholar in esidonce PrograrIMADAC the fst for Research in he rican Diaspora inthe ‘erica andthe Caribbean al he CUNY Graduale Gone, athe Copeland Fallows at Amherst College. — C(“tO*E