Arará
Arará is a vibrant Afro-Cuban dance rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of the Dahomey people, characterized by rhythmic drumming, expressive movements, and deep spiritual significance.
- Cultural and religious community in Cuba
- rooted in enslaved people from the Fon, Ewe, Popo, and Mahi ethnic groups of Allada
- Primarily found in Matanzas and Havana
- Powers of nature
- Less popular & spead in Cuba
- Gods: Foldunes
- 'Foddún' is the Arará-specific term for their divine spirits or deities
Similarities
- Elegua = Afra
- Yemaya = Afrekete
- Babalu aye = Asojano
- Chango = Hebioso
- Ochun = Mase
- Obatala = Awuyei
Conjunto Folklorico de Cuba "Arará" Afrekete
Arara's foddunes:
- Origin & Names – Fon thunder-god hevioso">Hevioso / Xevioso (Benin) → merges with Yoruba Ṣàngó → carried to Cuba as Ebbioso / Ebioso.
- Domain – lightning, thunder, rain, and swift divine justice against deceit or wrongdoing.
- Symbols & Colors – double-headed axe, “thunder-stones,” red-and-white palette.
- Diaspora Spread – venerated in Cuban Arará ceremonies; also honored in Haiti, Trinidad, and coastal West Africa.
- Ritual Expression – call-and-response songs (“Ebbioso Kawo”), powerful drum-and-dance sequences with stamping, plus offerings for rain and protection.
hebioso">Lees meer >
- Origin & Names – Fon thunder-god hevioso">Hevioso / Xevioso (Benin) → merges with Yoruba Ṣàngó → carried to Cuba as Ebbioso / Ebioso.
- Domain – lightning, thunder, rain, and swift divine justice against deceit or wrongdoing.
- Symbols & Colors – double-headed axe, “thunder-stones,” red-and-white palette.
- Diaspora Spread – venerated in Cuban Arará ceremonies; also honored in Haiti, Trinidad, and coastal West Africa.
- Ritual Expression – call-and-response songs (“Ebbioso Kawo”), powerful drum-and-dance sequences with stamping, plus offerings for rain and protection.
Lees meer >
- Origin & Names – Fon thunder-god Hevioso / Xevioso (Benin) → merges with Yoruba Ṣàngó → carried to Cuba as Ebbioso / Ebioso.
- Domain – lightning, thunder, rain, and swift divine justice against deceit or wrongdoing.
- Symbols & Colors – double-headed axe, “thunder-stones,” red-and-white palette.
- Diaspora Spread – venerated in Cuban Arará ceremonies; also honored in Haiti, Trinidad, and coastal West Africa.
- Ritual Expression – call-and-response songs (“Ebbioso Kawo”), powerful drum-and-dance sequences with stamping, plus offerings for rain and protection.
Lees meer >The following dances have their origin in Matanzas:
Cuban Dances Originating in Havana
Havana, the cultural heartbeat of Cuba, played a central role in the creation and evolution of several iconic Cuban dances. Some were born directly in the capital, while others were transformed there into the forms we know today.
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