down the rabbit hole: dances of the Orishas

The cool thing about Cuban dance is that it’s a total journey. It ties together physicality, spirituality and philosophy in a way that I find lacking or even non-existent in some other forms of dance.

But this road is a never ending one, and the only question you may one day find yourself asking is, “how deep down the rabbit hole do I really want to go……?”

Salsa and Casino are great starting points for many because of their appeal and relative accessibility. But again, it’s only a starting point, and it only gets deeper from there on out. There are many references to the Orishas and Santeria religion within Salsa music, take “Aguanile” by Hector Lavoe. “Aguanile” is praise for the warrior Saint Ogun.

I’m going to try to give you an explanation of Orisha dance in a very small nutshell. I am no expert in the Santeria religion, Bata drumming or even Orisha dance! There are probably only a small handful of these guys in the entire world. It’s almost akin to claiming ownership to the Pacific Ocean.

What is a Bata drum?

These are two-headed drums used to play sacred rhythms in honor of the dieties of the Santeria religion.  They are either consecrated -I think about 100 of these exist- or common. There is a small, medium and big one: the Okonkolo, Itotole, and Iya.

What is an Orisha?

A spirit that reflects a dimension of the ultimate God -Olurun. They are thought to be accessible, unlike the almighty. In Santeria, they are believed to rule over forces of nature and human fate to some degree. Paying respects through music and dance is one of the ways that humans can call and physically invoke the Orishas and in turn receive their help.

There are male and female Orishas. For example, Ellegua is a male Orisha with 256 roads or aspects ranging from trickster, to warrior, to messenger. Different Orishas have different roads, and many different dances depending on the rhythm or toque that is played…

How do Bata drums and Orisha dance fit together?

Each Orisha has different toques associated with it. Some have many toques! Each toque for each Orisha has its own separate dance complete with movement and characterization. Ellegua might dance like a trickster for one toque, but like a warrior for the next.

Different rhythm for different Orisha -> different paths -> different Orisha dances.

Can you see where this is going?

The dances and rhythms are beautiful in so many ways. They will drastically improve your rhythm and dance. But most important, you are drawing in something ancient but not-so-distant, whatever it may be…