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Glossary
- University Press of Mississippi
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209 Glossary aberikula: See batá aberikula akpwon: a professional vocal soloist who sings at Lucumí rituals, including toques de santo. During a toque de santo, many individuals may adopt the role of soloist for short periods of time. However, only musicians with extensive ritual and song knowledge are regarded as akpwones. Añá: orisha that resides within consecrated batá, iyesá, and bembé drums. The term Añá may also be used to identify the batá drums themselves. That is, in certain contexts, Añá is synonymous with both batá de fundamento (consecrated batá) and tambor de fundamento (consecrated drum). babalao [babalawo, babaláwo]: As priests of divination, babalaos are followers of the orisha Ifá. In contemporary Cuba, babalaos carry an important role in the crafting of new sets of Añá. barrio: neighborhood batá: double-headed, hourglass-shaped drums. In a set of batá there are three individual drums: iyá, itótele, and okónkolo. The term batá can refer to any of the three drums, individually, or collectively to the set as a whole. batá aberikula: batá drums that are not consecrated, called batá aberikula or simply aberikula. Another way to indicate a non-consecrated batá is to call it judio (Jew), inferring that it is not baptized. batá de fundamento: batá drums that are consecrated. A batá de fundamento is believed to be inhabited by the orisha Añá, and may be simply called Aña. Among batá drummers, the term tambor de fundamento [consecrated drum] is synonymous. batalero: batá drummer bembé: The use of bembé can be confusing. Often it is synonymous with toque de santo and tambor, meaning any ritual drumming ceremony for the orisha. In other contexts, it refers to relatively rare double-headed cylindrical drums used in Lucumí rituals, or to the ritual itself. In rural settings and in settings far from the center of this tradition, the term bembé can be Glossary 210 used to describe a Lucumí ritual that uses congas and/or other available instruments to support singing and dancing. boca: Spanish for mouth. When used as a reference to the batá, boca is a colloquial term for the larger head on the batá, known as enú. The use of boca supports the metaphor that the enú is responsible for talking and conversing . The term boca is also an exclamation calling for people to sing during a toque santo. cabildo: In colonial Cuba, a self-organized nation-group comprised of Africans from related ethnicities, a common language group, or a common port of embarkation from Africa. cajón: Spanish for drawer, crate. In a musical context it refers to a drum made entirely of wood. Cajones are common in both Cuba and Peru. In Cuba they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and each is capable of making several distinct tones: a bass tone in the center and a treble tone at the edge. Some are sat upon, so that the drummer reaches between his legs to strike the batter head. Since the 1970s they have been constructed so that they can be held between the legs while the percussionist uses playing techniques similar to a conga. A versatile instrument, cajones appear in all types of Afro-Cuban music, including Lucumí. chachá: the smaller, high-pitched head of a batá drum. cierre: The final phase of a toque de santo. It begins with seco (dry) rhythms to the orishas who are associated with death, and ends with songs to Eleguá. columbia: A type of rumba in 12/8 meter distinguished by a solo male dancer. comparsa: Afro-Cuban folkloric genre of music and dance. Associated with carnival and street processions. derecho: a set fee for ritual work. dueño: owner of a set of batá. egun: deceased person; ancestor. enú: Larger, low-pitched head of a batá drum. fodún: Ewe-Fon deities (associated with Arará in Cuba) with human-like personalities who are associated with, and are believed to control, natural phenomena. fundamento: fundament; a consecrated object imbued with spiritual energies, as in batá de fundamento or tambor de fundamento (consecrated drum). In the batá tradition, some toques are regarded as fundamento, while others are referred to as invento (invention). Those with fundamento are most appropriate for performing during the oro seco, for calling the orisha, for saluting the orisha when they arrive (mount, or possess, an initiate), and for presenting iyawos. [3.88.114.76] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 06:02 GMT) Glossary 211 guaguancó: type of rumba in 4/4...