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Afro-Cuban Religions and the Arts

A Dog Has Four Legs but Takes Only One Path

Alan West-Durán

Afro-Cuban Religions and the Arts: A Dog Has Four LegsBut Takes Only One Path argues for an understanding of Afro-Cuban religions and Vodou through the arts, be it through music, the visual arts, film, or literature. This book examines the philosophical and spiritual facets of religions like Regla de Ocha, Palo, Abakuá, and Vodou, and how deeply embedded they are in Cuban popular culture. Cuban popular music, from son to salsa, timba to rap, offer reflections on Ocha, Palo, and Abakuá influences. Film and visual arts borrow allegory from Regla de Ocha and Palo beliefs. Myth and the Haitian Revolution is embedded throughout the work of Alejo Carpentier, Aimé Césaire, and Derek Walcott. This volume seeks to dialogue with the works of contemporary artists and Caribbean ancestors such as C.L.R. James, Wilson Harris, and Fernández-Retamar, in order to show the impacts that spiritualism, religious belief, and mythology have had on Afro-Cuban art.

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Lexington Books
Pages: 292 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-7936-3982-0 • Hardback • December 2024 • $120.00 • (£92.00)
978-1-7936-3983-7 • eBook • December 2024 • $50.00 • (£38.00)
Series: Lexington Studies on Cuba
Subjects: History / Latin America / General, Art / Caribbean & Latin American, Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Caribbean & Latin American Studies

Alan West-Durán is professor in the Department of Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies (CSGS) at Northeastern University.

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Dogs of Myth, the Dogs of History

Chapter 1: Don't Mess With the Saints: Afro-Cuban Religions and Popular Music, from María Teresa Vera to Hip Hop

Chapter 2: "A River That Never Rests": Omar Sosa

Chapter 3: Whistling into the Future with the Orishas: "Life is to Whistle"

Chapter 4: Water, Crossroads and Diaspora: Magda Campos-Pons

Chapter 5: Crossroads of History and the Spirits: José Bedia

Chapter 6: All That's Ideology Melts into Flesh: "Juan of the Dead" and Palero Resilience

Chapter 7: The Haitian Revolution and Vodou: Myth, Muses and History

Postscript: A Dialogue with the Dead

Appendix A: Regla de Ocha (Santeria)

Appendix B: Reglas de Palo

Appendix C: The Abakuá

Appendix D: Vodou

Appendix E: Chart of Comparative Pantheons (Ocha-Palo-Abakuá-Catholic--Greek)

Appendix F: Vodou Pantheon with Catholic Syncretisms

Appendix G: Afro-Cuban Religious and Vodou Glossary of Terms

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

"This is an exceptional book, beautifully written, and infused with deep spirituality and academic rigor. Alan West-Durán offers a comprehensive exploration of Afro-Cuban religions like Ocha, Palo, and Abakuá through the lenses of music, art, and film. He masterfully discusses how popular genres such as son, salsa, and rap reflect Afro-Cuban spirituality, analyzing songs that highlight faith, rituals, and cultural pride. Subsequent chapters study the work of distinguished artists like Omar Sosa, whose music brilliantly blends Afro-Cuban and global influences, and María Magdalena Campos-Pons, whose art powerfully engages with identity and orisha spirituality. Through insightful analyses of films by Fernando Pérez and artwork by José Bedia, the book skillfully examines representations of orisha archetypes and Cuban spiritual practices. It culminates with an insightful discussion of the Haitian Revolution and Vodou, offering a deep understanding of their lasting impact on both Haitian and Cuban cultural identity and social change. Afro-Cuban Religions and the Arts is an outstanding and illuminating work."


— Luis Duno-Gottberg, Rice University


"Alan West-Durán has expertly weaved together an insightful interpretation of numerous African-inflected cultural practices in Cuba, including literary texts, musical compositions, the visual arts, and films. His analysis eloquently demonstrates how myth and history of African origin permeate Cuban culture, both popular and elite, especially through the influence of the three major Afro-Cuban religions: Regla de Ocha, Palo, and Abakuá."


— Jorge Duany, director and professor, Cuban Research Institute, Florida International University


Afro-Cuban Religions and the Arts

A Dog Has Four Legs but Takes Only One Path

Cover Image
Hardback
eBook
Summary
Summary
  • Afro-Cuban Religions and the Arts: A Dog Has Four LegsBut Takes Only One Path argues for an understanding of Afro-Cuban religions and Vodou through the arts, be it through music, the visual arts, film, or literature. This book examines the philosophical and spiritual facets of religions like Regla de Ocha, Palo, Abakuá, and Vodou, and how deeply embedded they are in Cuban popular culture. Cuban popular music, from son to salsa, timba to rap, offer reflections on Ocha, Palo, and Abakuá influences. Film and visual arts borrow allegory from Regla de Ocha and Palo beliefs. Myth and the Haitian Revolution is embedded throughout the work of Alejo Carpentier, Aimé Césaire, and Derek Walcott. This volume seeks to dialogue with the works of contemporary artists and Caribbean ancestors such as C.L.R. James, Wilson Harris, and Fernández-Retamar, in order to show the impacts that spiritualism, religious belief, and mythology have had on Afro-Cuban art.

Details
Details
  • Lexington Books
    Pages: 292 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
    978-1-7936-3982-0 • Hardback • December 2024 • $120.00 • (£92.00)
    978-1-7936-3983-7 • eBook • December 2024 • $50.00 • (£38.00)
    Series: Lexington Studies on Cuba
    Subjects: History / Latin America / General, Art / Caribbean & Latin American, Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Caribbean & Latin American Studies
Author
Author
  • Alan West-Durán is professor in the Department of Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies (CSGS) at Northeastern University.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
  • Acknowledgments

    Introduction: The Dogs of Myth, the Dogs of History

    Chapter 1: Don't Mess With the Saints: Afro-Cuban Religions and Popular Music, from María Teresa Vera to Hip Hop

    Chapter 2: "A River That Never Rests": Omar Sosa

    Chapter 3: Whistling into the Future with the Orishas: "Life is to Whistle"

    Chapter 4: Water, Crossroads and Diaspora: Magda Campos-Pons

    Chapter 5: Crossroads of History and the Spirits: José Bedia

    Chapter 6: All That's Ideology Melts into Flesh: "Juan of the Dead" and Palero Resilience

    Chapter 7: The Haitian Revolution and Vodou: Myth, Muses and History

    Postscript: A Dialogue with the Dead

    Appendix A: Regla de Ocha (Santeria)

    Appendix B: Reglas de Palo

    Appendix C: The Abakuá

    Appendix D: Vodou

    Appendix E: Chart of Comparative Pantheons (Ocha-Palo-Abakuá-Catholic--Greek)

    Appendix F: Vodou Pantheon with Catholic Syncretisms

    Appendix G: Afro-Cuban Religious and Vodou Glossary of Terms

    Bibliography

    Index

    About the Author

Reviews
Reviews
  • "This is an exceptional book, beautifully written, and infused with deep spirituality and academic rigor. Alan West-Durán offers a comprehensive exploration of Afro-Cuban religions like Ocha, Palo, and Abakuá through the lenses of music, art, and film. He masterfully discusses how popular genres such as son, salsa, and rap reflect Afro-Cuban spirituality, analyzing songs that highlight faith, rituals, and cultural pride. Subsequent chapters study the work of distinguished artists like Omar Sosa, whose music brilliantly blends Afro-Cuban and global influences, and María Magdalena Campos-Pons, whose art powerfully engages with identity and orisha spirituality. Through insightful analyses of films by Fernando Pérez and artwork by José Bedia, the book skillfully examines representations of orisha archetypes and Cuban spiritual practices. It culminates with an insightful discussion of the Haitian Revolution and Vodou, offering a deep understanding of their lasting impact on both Haitian and Cuban cultural identity and social change. Afro-Cuban Religions and the Arts is an outstanding and illuminating work."


    — Luis Duno-Gottberg, Rice University


    "Alan West-Durán has expertly weaved together an insightful interpretation of numerous African-inflected cultural practices in Cuba, including literary texts, musical compositions, the visual arts, and films. His analysis eloquently demonstrates how myth and history of African origin permeate Cuban culture, both popular and elite, especially through the influence of the three major Afro-Cuban religions: Regla de Ocha, Palo, and Abakuá."


    — Jorge Duany, director and professor, Cuban Research Institute, Florida International University


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