Cuba | Batá Drums of the Cuban Santería | Ensemble Omo Abillona | Meta for the Oricha Changó

This video presents excerpts of a performance held by the ensemble Omo Abillona, four young players of batá drums, coming from the Afro-Cuban community living in Marianao, a municipality in Havana, Cuba. The name of the group is in Lukumi language, the language spoken by the Yoruba slaves deported to Cuba, that became the liturgical language of the Santería. The name of the group can be translated as ‘Sons of the open paths’. Members of the sacerdotal caste of the Omo Aña, consecrated to Aña, the divinity of the drums, the musicians of Omo Abillona play the batá drums during the religious ceremonies. The batá drums are played in consorts of three instruments of different size: okónkolo, itótele, and iyá (from the smallest to the largest, and most important). During the ceremony of the toque de santo the drums perform to evoke the orichas, divinities of the pantheon of the Santería, with a sequence of polyrhythmic patterns (toques), also accompanying songs and dances devoted to the orichas.
In this video excerpt the musicians play the toque known as Meta, a sequence of rhythms devoted to Changó, a divinity syncretised with Saint Barbara, considered as the oricha of sexual strength, of thunder, and master of the music. From a musical standpoint, Meta is characterized by a gradual accelerando guided by the main drum (iyá), and by the constant exchange (conversaciones) between iyá and the second drum (itótele).
The performance, part of a series named ‘Music and Rite’ was organized by the Intercultural Institute for Comparative Music Studies of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, after a research, and with the scientific advice of Marco Lutzu, in cooperation with Conservatorio di Musica “Benedetto Marcello” of Venice.
Ensemble Omo Abillona: Andres Alain Medina Monteagudo, Daylon Gordon Urgelles, Alberto Elejalde Bonilla, Yester Luis Anaya Soublet
Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, 10 November 2016
More info on this event: www.cini.it/en/events/music-an...
Video: Giuseppe Drago
IISMC: www.cini.it/en/foundation/inst...

[@borincason7647]

The World is lucky to have Cuba.

[@pangeaproxima9446]

Indeed.

[@RamiParadise]

That is the sound of my beautiful Island of heritage. 🇨🇺🪘

[@snowman72891]

Beautiful. I had no idea drumming could be so beautiful and complex.

[@efanshel]

What beautiful sound quality......

[@omarelchamo555]

Que bonito suena saludos desde Venezuela bendiciones

[@nycwlr]

My favorite! I loved learning and playing with The Cultural Movement several years ago. I was fortunate. Now I know a healing art. Thanks.

[@richardweil8813]

Wonderful. Heard a street performance of drumming in Havana near the Afro-Cuban center. As you can hear, the talent of these artists is amazing.

[@mannyruiz1954]

Not really into the religious aspect but I love African percussion and Afro-Cuban, folklorico. I saw Los Papines once, and Mongo Santamaria many times.

[@mejsjalv]

Cuban percussionists are next level stuff.

[@jobinhoalves682]

É tão surreal a maneira que esses caras conseguem definir notas tão preciosas

[@pangeaproxima9446]

Amazing polyrythms!

[@torianwilkins3986]

Playing this for my father Chango as I sit in front of the altar I dedicated to him 😁

[@verenahoffmann8876]

Gfzfhklllfdkjffjhfuzzgjjjxx.

[@verenahoffmann8876]

J

[@rebeccaryanthomsen6951]

So beautiful

[@ManuelBetancurt]

wonderful hypnotic, pure, thank you!

[@yaboidiego6177]

Love cuba !

[@mannyruiz1954]

Cuba Si!

[@99kasperNY]

uff.. un deleite, grande maestro 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Homeside301]

NGL like jazz like the funkiest of jazz, upon first listen it makes no sense. But when you keep listening it makes perfect sense. Very fun to listen to unlike the radio

[@mariawhittaker3547]

COMO ME EXTRANO A CUBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@queenschannel768]

where are my Africans of the diaspora 😏😌❤️🖤💚✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽‼️

[@clee3941]

rah cheah!

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

Always stronger together

[@enildemday5294]

sounds like the forest at night.. la selva.

[@lesliegrier1058]

Absolutely beautiful 😍😍😍

[@deich31]

Thanks for the video...but also for the excellent description.

[@kumpulangendangsenirelabak1136]

This is beautiful

[@vituspirchner]

great 🥰 I love it 😍

[@jamesgyre]

mind melting!

[@nolies1378]

Very nice

[@DavidePettirossi]

L'Arte del Ritmo!

[@havanacreates8370]

It’s clean u guys. You guyssss

[@vincentrobin1314]

super

[@AdawgSuperhighway]

YUSSS

[@valeriosecchi4462]

Bravi

[@havanacreates8370]

He’s already there

[@victormartinez-ir8ms]

lo mjor

[@enriquej.varona3448]

It's possible to have a permission from the Fondazione Giorgio Cini to use this video in a conference? Thanks for your answer.

[@jonesderbyshire8787]

Pay them

[@havanacreates8370]

And bang the drum left and right

[@nullemolsen]

The fourth guy on the left looks so left alone haha

[@havanacreates8370]

They need a role Royce to get the hat?!

[@havanacreates8370]

Tap it it come back to your hand

[@havanacreates8370]

Harder

[@yvettesantiago6300]

Ana Speaks

[@havanacreates8370]

Higher

[@RBB8S]

1:40

[@havanacreates8370]

Higher hands

[@havanacreates8370]

Why are you guys paying the wrong drums

[@YaoEspirito]

Real Bata; not LP Bata.

[@havanacreates8370]

It’s not high enough

[@hankigoe829]

calm down guys, don't want anyone to have a heart attack

[@havanacreates8370]

You have to use your bodies

[@havanacreates8370]

Up

[@havanacreates8370]

You guys are not even moving

[@cheftoe_7368]

Especially that one guy standing off the stage, I don't think he even moved an inch.. he really might be a statue 😂

[@havanacreates8370]

That way to low

[@SpendTimeWithYourFamily]

Not very authentic but I love the sound.

[@jonesderbyshire8787]

Yes it is authentic this is pure bata shut up

[@ziggystardust5669]

Hahaha so you don't know anything about afrocuban culture so be quiet

[@christopherp.hitchens3902]

Ugh! Unfortunately, they LOOK bored. I'm getting bored too. Sorry. I guess I expected something a little bit more intense.

[@mannyruiz1954]

You need to focus on the syncopation of the drums. It's very technical.

[@christopherp.hitchens3902]

@@mannyruiz1954 - Never underestimate the importance of showmanship. Like a dancer that concentrates so much on what she’s doing, she forgets to smile. Not realizing, that when the performer is having fun, they give the audience permission to have fun too!

[@mannyruiz1954]

@@christopherp.hitchens3902 Fair enough. From my POV, as a musician, I'm just listening to the technical aspect. I like technical, thrash metal too.

[@jonesderbyshire8787]

@@christopherp.hitchens3902 bitch shut up, you can’t play these rhythm without having focus and meditation which is how the sound comes by focus. That’s why white peoples can’t play like this. You don’t focus and don’t have rhythm

[@christopherp.hitchens3902]

@@jonesderbyshire8787 - I am in Cuba at this very moment. I have seen/heard these men move mountains. This is boring. I would tell them if they were here that I have heard better.

[@havanacreates8370]

Harder