Artex is a Cuban institution and there seems to be one in every town of any size. They range from small shops selling CDs and crafts to larger venues such as the one in Cienfuegos, which includes a pleasant cafe that serves lunch and a large outdoor theater for performances and dancing. Here's Jorge, a master drummer and one of our instructors, talking with Carolina, our Cuban cultural liaison and guide.
We were given some historical background to the culture by two local scholars. Cienfuegos was founded by French people, who were brought from New Orleans in the early 19th century. The Spanish wanted to bring more white people to the island because the ratio of slaves to free had become so high that they feared an uprising like the one in Haiti at the end of the 18th century. Our scholars also gave us an overview of local religious practices and institutions. Following the lecture, we went to the first of several cabildos that we visited in the course of our tour.
Cabildos are the cultural and spiritual mutual aid societies where members of the same African ethnic group gathered. These institutions are what allowed the multiple ethnic groups from Africa to maintain their religious and artistic traditions to such a great degree, while adapting them to the new environment and way of life. Almost all cabildos have a Catholic patron saint, who symbolizes the African deity, or orisha. The orishas represent the divine forces of nature, the universe, and all aspects of human life.
Here's a picture of the altar of the cabildo Santa Barbara. It was handed down through the families in the cabildo since 1842. In Afro-Cuban syncretism, Santa Barbara corresponds to the Yoruban orisha Changó.
Cabildos are religious meeting places, but they are also homes. The room containing the altar, and little else, is usually in the front of the house. In the back are living quarters.
Leaving the cabildo Santa Barbara, we proceeded to another cabildo, the Society of Charity. The Virgin of Charity represents the orisha Oshún and is the patron saint of Cuba. Here's the altar to Oshún, goddess of love, femininity, and the waters, and some young folks playing drums and hanging out at the cabildo.
Across the street from the Society of Charity is the home of the santero (priest) for the cabildo. His name is Gulliermo. Here he is playing the fundamento drums with Jorge. The fundamento has been consecrated; by tradition, it can only be played by men and must not be allowed to touch the floor.
And here Carolyn Brandy provides the clave.
In the nearby town of Palmira we visited an ethnographic museum that houses costumes and religious objects concerning the orishas as well as records of the genealogy of the local cabildos. On the back patio of the museum we saw a performance by a local group, which somewhat apologetically explained that there were "amateurs" and were simply offering the music and dance passed down to them by their families. Let us just say, they were the real thing. Here are a few of the dancers. I'm just starting to learn about the orishas, but I believe these three are Ochosi (the hunter), Elegguá (the messenger), and Babaluaye (healer of infectious diseases, associated with Lazarus).
Here are a couple more shots, compliments of Mary Kahn.
Cienfuegos is really a jewel. Here are a couple of shots of the Palacio del Valle, a curiosity built in the early part of the 20th century as a residence and now used as a restaurant. My guidebook calls the architecture "something like a cross between a medieval fortress, an Indian temple, and a Moorish palace."
Here's what one department store in Cienfuegos looks like. The assortment of merchandise was dicey, but notice the art on the walls. On the right is the town's lovely main square. The afternoon we visited there were rehearsals of classical music, modern Afro-Cuban music, and theater all going on in the buildings on the square. In Cuba, there's music and art everywhere!
