Aché Moyuba Orisha

It is through a blend of cultures ranging from European to African, and even dashes of Indian and Chinese, that Cuba has forged its unique and multi-faceted identity. The same is true of Cuba’s diverse religious traditions: Catholicism, Santería, and Spiritism – among many others. This engrossing documentary shows the intricate hybrids, such as Santería, that have evolved through the fusion of African and European faiths, and the continued ties between the Catholic Church and Santería in a nation where many profess both religions simultaneously without contradiction. And so, since the African god Obatalá was fused with the Catholic Virgin of Mercy during the days of slavery, many Catholics who go to hear the Virgin’s mass on Sunday morning dance to the drums of Obatalá on Sunday night.

Always respectful of Santería’s secrets, the documentary explains the major ceremonies and deities of the religion: the divination of Ifá, the secret initiation of priests, and the batá drums; the warrior god Shangó also known as St. Barbara; the motherly sea goddess Yemayá Our Lady of Regla; Ochún, the patroness of love associated with Cuba’s patron, Our Lady of Charity; and Oyá/St. Theresa, who receives the dead.

The documentary also discusses the role of divination and divine trance in the Santería religion from a variety of perspectives. As a Santería priest discusses the importance of these elements, a neurologist reflects on some of the scientific bases underlying them. The video also features Catholic clergy describing their understanding and acceptance of the Santería religion as a counterpart to Catholicism. This documentary dispels powerful stereotypes about Santería as it reveals the intimate connections between Cuba’s two major religious traditions.

Aché Moyuba Orisha
dir. Cristina Gónzalez Gallardo
Cuba, 1990, 42 minutes
Spanish with English subtitles

Bibliography
Barnet, Miguel. Afro-Cuban Religions. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2001.
Brandon, George. Santería from Africa to the New World: The Dead Sell Memories.
     Bloomington, IN: University of Indiana Press, 1993.
González-Whippler, Migene. Santería: The Religion: A Legacy of Faith, Rites and Magic.
     Miami: Harmony, 1994

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