My start with Santería

I began my studies of Santeria, the beautiful Afro Cuban religion with its beginnings in Nigeria, after my first visit to Cuba in 2007, after coincidentally staying in a "Casa Particular" ran by Josefina [daughter of Obatala], her son Jose Luis [a babalawo and son of Chango], and her daughter Natalia [daughter of Yamaya].

I knew nothing about Santería at the time and was truly blind to the fact that I was staying with Santeros.  I went there to dance salsa, practice Spanish, and party.  Little did I know my life would change forever.

We went on a horse caraige ride one day through downtown Havana.  I remember our guide pointing out the many people walking around town that were covered from head to toe in white.  She pointed out that these people had recently made saint.  Still, I did not know she was referring to Santería, I just thought that they had a very dramatically different way of practicing Catholicism.

After several days in Havana, I began to experience culture shock quite intensely.  Although I was fluent in Spanish and had lived in Latin America for quite some time, the Cuban dialect was incredibly challenging for me.  I decided that I would ask the next time I heard a word that I didn't understand for its definition.  

Shortly thereafter, I was in front of the Casa Particular with Jose Luis and a group of his friends that came to talk to him.  As usual, I was lost in the conversation.  Someone said the word Chango, and I decided to ask what that meant.  Jose Luis got an incredibly big smile on his face and explained that in his religion, they had a pantheon of Orishas that were commonly referred to as Santos, and that everyone had a Guardian Angel.  Chango was his.  

From there Jose Luis began to describe Santería to me in great detail.  I was fascinated!  I must admit, I did find it a little crazy at first, but I have always been very respectful of others' beliefs and since I was in Cuba I wanted to take the opportunity to learn as much about the religion as possible.

My curiosity did not stop there, and I continued my studies of the religion when I came back home.  I was completely hooked, and could not get enough information.  2 years later I had met a babalawo in Denver, who determined my Guardian Angel.  I don't think this is any coincidence, but it was determined that I was son of Chango!  

Reasons I fell in love with Cuba and the Afrocuban culture:

Reasons I fell in love with Cuba and the Afrocuban culture:

1. Complex yet simple
2. Syncretistic yet distinct
3. Ambiguous yet complete

Let's take a look at one of my favorite songs:  Conga Yambuba



 Here we can see a salsa version and an Afrocuban version of this song.  Let me use these two versions of this song to elaborate on exactly what I mean.

Complex yet simple

In the original version of this, the only instruments that are being played are drums and percussion.  Simple.  However, there are very complex rhythms being played, and the song being sang is completely off beat.  Next, to truly complete it, we can see that there is an accompanying dance, style of dress, and culture that is born from this song.  The call and response is intense, and the true meaning of the song is deeply hidden - on which I will elaborate more shortly.

So while on the surface most people may only see a couple of drums being played and people dancing, it is important to realize that the true beauty of this song comes out when it is played concisely, when the singer hits the right notes and the community responds, and the people dancing feel the music and make visual what the musicians would like to express.

Syncretistic yet distinct

Thanks to the slave trade, the most unique culture in the world was born, although heavily rooted in ancient traditions that somehow were preserved for centuries.  Here we can see two examples of the same song performed in two highly distinct ways, making them both right and neither wrong, just different and appealing to almost anybody depending on the version.  When I first arrived to Cuba, going back to my original point, I thought of it as an incredibly simple place, until I realized how complex the syncretism made it.  Let me elaborate:

Reading guidebooks, watching the travel channel, and looking at Cuba from the surface you would be lead to believe it is a Catholic country, just as the Spanish would have liked to believe after arriving.  However, if you dig a little beneath the surface, you will see that it is just a disguise for what the real religion is, which is Santeria.  Santeria was born from the syncretism of Catholicism and African traditions.  Today, what is practiced in Cuba is a true evolution and a blend of many traditions much more powerful than what is practiced in Africa, Spain, or anywhere else in the world today.

The words of this song in both examples are dedicated to a religion called Palo, which comes from the Congo.  The Afrocuban version is interesting because as the Muñequitos play it, it would be considered a guanguanco or rumba, but Palo has a completely different rhythm which many would argue should be only used for Palos songs.  The salsa version is very intriguing because many salseros would tell you that they love this song and have a blast dancing to it, but if they knew what it was dedicated to may be left in a complete state of shock.

Ambiguous yet complete

Let's be honest - many of us that are listening this song have never even considered the true meaning of it.  "Man, that sounds awesome" or "Cool" are things that might come to mind.  And it's true, it is very melodic and instills a certain since of meaning that we as  music fans don't need to investigate more.  We are satisfied because the complexity of such a simple song fulfills us and leaves us complete.

I have a theory that this type of music is so complex that the average person actually goes into overdrive when analyzing it and becomes subconsciously intimidated and therefor does not try to investigate in any more detail.  They are left satisfied by its ambiguity, and thus complete.

The Afrocuban culture is rich and has provided me with great joy.  I hope that you too will find happiness and be inspired to explore in more detail.

Palo Mayombe Consultation

Another type of consultation that you can do with directly with the spiritual world of Palo Mayombe. Part deity and part spirit, Palo consultations are usually for people that have serious problems that need immediate results, including:

• Legal Issues
• Witchcraft
• Black Magic
• Dark Spirits
• Harassment
• Insomnia
• Health

In this type of consultation, a Palero will work with a Nganga or Prenda to determine what the problem is, what the cause of the problem is, and what the solution to the problem may be.  If the Nganga can help the person in need, the Palero will then determine what the next steps are and work with the person to resolve the problem.

Call me at 720.257.8539 to schedule a consultation.  I charge $21 for this.

Consultation with Elegua

Elegua is an Orisha and the divine messenger in our religion.  He is the owner of our destinies and can provide us with great insight into our past, present, and future.

A consultation with Elegua is extremely powerful and should be taken very seriously.  Before doing a consultation with Elegua, you should have an understanding of Santeria, some basic familiarity with each of the Orishas, and most importantly be prepared to listen to his advice.  After all, this is an Orisha that will be speaking to you!

In a basic consultation, Elegua speaks to you by way of cowry shells.  Only an experienced Santero with a good reputation should be trusted to do this consultation.  The Santero throws the shells on a matt and depending on the number of shells that fall with their face up, a sign is given.

The sign will be either ire {positive} or ofo {negative}.  Depending on the specific sign and its state, the Santero will interpret the message that Elegua is giving and discuss this with you.  You can ask as many questions as you want and will need to interpret the advice to fit your current situation.

Most consultations result with Elegua giving you advice to overcome any difficulties that you may be experiencing and informing you of different Orishas that want to help.  Elegua may instruct you to make Ebo {religious works and offerings} or do a cleansing to win the Orishas' favor.

Depending on Elegua's advice, you may be able to do the Ebo yourself or ask for the help of a Santero. It should be noted that the cycle changes every twenty-one days, and for best results you should always immediately get to work and complete everything Elegua tells you to do within this time period.

My Godfather, Echu Oba Nigüe, charges $25 for this consultation.  I can be there to help interpret from Spanish to English for an additional $30.