Abakuá is a male secret society that originated in Cuba in the early 1800s, specifically in Regla, Havana, in 1836. It was created by enslaved and free Afro-Cubans who brought traditions from the Ekpe societies of the Efik, Ibibio, and Ejagham peoples in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon.
It blends African spiritual, social, and cultural practices with Cuban influences, and remains a unique Afro-Cuban institution known for its rituals, music, and brotherhood.