DICTIONARY

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abacuá

See abakuá

abakuá

In Cuba, people from Carabali origin are called abakua. Their Carabali ancestors came from the Calabar Coast, in the south of the Nigeria. Many slaves were deported from this country, with intensification in the end of the 18th century. During the first half of the 19th century: this time coincides with the expansion of coffee and sugar cane plantations in the Spanish colony of Cuba, and with the consecutive new need of labor.

Abakua societies (also called ñañigos) are at the origin of many customs and rituals, very developed in Cuba, and act deeply upon the culture of this island. The basis of these societies is a mutual assistance between members.

The abakua musical instruments, used during ritual ceremonies, are drums: Bonkó enchemiyá, Bincomé, Obí-apá, Kuchi-yeremá; a kind of cowbell: Ekón; few others percussion: Itón, Erikundi, Ekué.

The ceremonies (plantes) take place in consecrated rooms, and during processions, where people dance the ireme.

abakwa

See abakuá

abanico

Literally, "fan"; a stylized roll played by the timbalero usually to signify a change in the music (i.e. from verse to chorus). The Spanish word for fan, used to describe the Timbales figure (roll and accent) played to introduce or close sections and to setup various ensemble passages.

abebe

Kind of fan in vegetal fibres, decorated in various ways and with little bells. The abebe is shaken for calling the orisha. Each orisha owns his particular abebe.

a caballo

See caballo .

acheré (atcheré)

A small rattle or shaker made of metal, or gourd, used to play the standard bell patterns or other accompaniments in batá ensembles.

afro

A rhythmic style combining adaptations of sacred batá drum rhythms popularized in Cuba in the 1940s, and often used to interpret lullabies.

Afrokán, Pello, el

See Pedro Izquierdo.

agbé

The Yoruba name for the beaded calabash gourds also called chekeré or guiro.

agogo

Small bells welded together on a flexible metal rod also traditionally used by the Comparsas in the Cuban Carnival. An iron bell of Yoruba origin, used in conjunction with iyesá drums.

For each orisha, there is a different bell.

aguinaldo

(Empty)

anakue

The anakue is a little percussion looking like a maraca: two cones of metal fixed by their points, with grain or little stones inside. Like the maraca, the anakue is played by shaking it.

apobanga

Name of an old dance or danzón.

arará

People originating from Dahomey, an ex-French colony in West Africa (Guinea Gulf).
Ritual/ceremonial drums brought to the Oriente province of Cuba by the Haitian émigrés after the Haitian slave rebellion of 1791. There are three arará drums, played by three persons.

areíto

A term derived from the native, indigenous tribes living in Cuba before colonization, (such as the Siboney, Taíno and Guanajatabibe tribes), referring to elaborate religious celebrations of music, dance and theatre.
A rhythmic style combining several elements of Cuban carnival rhythms with the son and rumba, as well as several North American influences, resulting in a free-style, highly syncopated style. The areíto later evolved into what is now known as songo.

assongue

Sort of a metallic maraca, used in music of arará inspiration.

atchere

Sort of decorated maraca, played in traditional lucumí music.

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