Arará Afro-Cuban – Dance
Arará is the name given in Cuba to enslaved Ewe, Adjá and Fon people from the former kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin). Their religion, the Regla Arará, now survives only in Matanzas, according to EcuRed.
The Arará tradition
- Name: arará is a corruption of Arada (Allada), the Ewe capital in the 15th century.
- Where: the Arará could rebuild their worship only in Havana and Matanzas; according to EcuRed it now survives only in Matanzas. Wikipedia also mentions followers in Las Villas and Oriente. Important temples are in Matanzas, Jovellanos, Perico and Cárdenas.
- Gods: the gods are called foddunes (also foldunes or vodú). They act in groups and communicate through divination and possession.
- Music: at the end of the 20th century ensembles usually played two to four drums, with an iron bell and a metal rattle. The drums are called caja, mula and cachimbo, and are considered sacred after a particular ceremony. The drummers are called ajaonú or sojonu; the lead singer is the gallo.
- Dance: the Arará have their own ceremonial dances. Some resemble dances of Haitian Vodou because of the shared heritage, but they are clearly distinct.
Correspondences with the orishas
The names of the foddunes differ per temple. According to EcuRed, among others:
- Elegguá = Afrá (Agramante), Elewasó (Matanzas)
- Oggún = Gum (Matanzas), Ajoaggún (Jovellanos)
- Babalú Ayé = Asoyín (Matanzas), Aluá; Wikipedia: Asojano
- Changó = Jebbioso (Matanzas, Jovellanos, Cárdenas)
- Yemayá = Afrekete (Matanzas), Ferekete (Jovellanos, Perico)
- Ochún = Masé (in all temples)
- Oyá = Odañe (Matanzas)
- Obatalá = Boko and Leborisa (Matanzas), Ajosi (Jovellanos), Somaddone (Perico)