Guemilere
Summary: What Is a Guemilere?
| Aspect |
Description |
| Meaning |
Ritual celebration for the Orishas in Santería (Lucumí religion) |
| Main Elements |
Batá drumming, singing in Lucumí, dance, and offerings |
| Purpose |
To honor, invoke, or give thanks to the Orishas |
| Instruments |
Batá drums — Iyá, Itótele, and Okónkolo |
| Language |
Lucumí (a liturgical form of Yoruba) |
| Outcome |
Spiritual connection, divine possession, and community unity |
🌿 Overview
A Guemilere (also spelled Güemilere or Guemilê) is a ceremonial gathering in the Afro-Cuban Lucumí (Santería) religion, dedicated to the Orishas — divine spirits of Yoruba origin.
It combines music, dance, and prayer to create a sacred space where the community honors and communicates with the Orishas through batá rhythms, chants, and ritual offerings.
During the ceremony:
- The batá drummers perform specific toques (rhythmic patterns) for each Orisha.
- Singers chant in Lucumí to call and praise the deities.
- Dancers embody the movements and energy of the Orishas.
- Sometimes, an Orisha will mount (possess) a devotee, allowing divine presence to manifest.
A Guemilere is both sacred and celebratory — a living expression of Africa in the Caribbean, preserving Yoruba spirituality through rhythm, language, and community.
Afro-Cuban Orishas are deities from the Yoruba religion, brought to Cuba through the transatlantic slave trade, who embody natural forces and human traits, and are honored through music, dance, and ritual in Santería.
Lees meer >Africa
Afro-Cuban Dances by African Origin
| African Region / Ethnic Group |
Cuban Religions / Traditions |
Cuban Dances / Genres |
| Nigeria (Yoruba) |
Santería (Regla de Ocha) |
Orisha dances (to Shango, Yemayá, Ochún, Elegguá, etc.); staged folkloric Yoruba dances; influence on Rumba & Son movement |
| Nigeria (Igbo / Efik) |
Lesser-preserved lineages |
Ritual dances in some Afro-Cuban ceremonies, body isolations integrated into popular dance |
| Cameroon–Congo (Bantu/Kongo) |
Palo Monte (Regla de Palo), Congo cabildos |
Palo dances, Makuta, Yuka; Congo-style dances; major influence on Rumba ( Columbia & Guaguancó) |
| Dahomey (Fon/Ewe, Benin area) |
Arará religion ( Matanzas) |
Arará ritual dances, with distinctive footwork and body undulations |
| Carabalí (Calabar, SE Nigeria– Cameroon border) |
Abakuá society |
Secret society dances (ekón, plante), influence on male rumba styles |
| European (Spanish / French) |
Secular ballroom, Creole culture |
Contradanza, Habanera, Danzón, Cha-cha-chá, Mambo, etc. |
| Mixed Creole (African + European) |
Popular Cuban music & dance |
Son, Rumba, Salsa, Casino (Cuban salsa), Timba |
Rooted in Havana’s bustling 1950s dance halls, Cuban Casino mixes tradition and flair in a partner dance style that spread worldwide.
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- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >Cuban rumba is an Afro-Cuban music and dance genre characterized by complex rhythms, call-and-response vocals, and expressive, often flirtatious movements, rooted in African and Spanish traditions.
Lees meer >Rumba columbia is the fastest of the Cuban rumba styles (alongside yambú and guaguancó). It’s a virtuosic solo dance—traditionally male, now often danced by women too—performed to a triple-pulse feel (12/8, often felt as fast 6/8). Its hallmark is a playful, competitive dialogue between the dancer and the lead drum (quinto).
Lees meer >The dance involves a flirtatious "chase" between a male and female dancer, with the male attempting a symbolic pelvic thrust called the vacunao,
and the female using body movements to evade or accept it.
Lees meer >A Cuban dance and music style created in the early 1950s by Enrique Jorrín, evolving from the danzón-mambo tradition in charanga orchestras.
Lees meer >National dance of Cuba, evolved from danza.
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- Orisha of thunder, lightning, fire, drumming, kingship.
- Toques: Chachachá, Alujá, Obakoso.
- Strong, fiery, powerful rhythms — central to batá tradition.
Lees meer >The following dances have their origin in Matanzas:
Origin of:
Heritage of:
Bembé
Yemayá
Yemayá – several specific toques for Yemayá.
Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the " mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the "mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.