Matanzas
Our first destination was the village of Jovellanos in the province of
Matanzas, where we attended a private performance of the Baros family.
This family, which originally came from Benin, has preserved its language,
culture, and religion (Arará) over the generations and are regarded
as a national treasure of the state. The matriarch of the family is 84
years old; her grandfather was brought to Cuba from Africa as a slave.
The family has recently been back to Africa, where they were enthusiastically
received by those who witnessed their performances. The people there had
not seen these dances or heard these songs since they were children, and
they thought this heritage had all been lost.
In the evening we attended a blazing performance at the Palacio Junco
by the renowned Grupo Afro-Cuba de Matanzas. Here are a couple taken by
Sue Matthews, who does beautiful paintings
of scenes from Cuban life that incorporate the orishas. The men's dance
represents Changó, ruler over lightning, thunder, fire, the drums
and dance. The women in blue and white represents Yemayá, the mother
of all.
Before leaving Matanzas for our next destination we stopped for a look
at some of the town's architecture. Here's a picture of the main square
in the town.
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