the afro caribbean mask in puerto rico

Where does it come from?

The Afro-Caribbean Mask

Map of Africa

All along the west coast castles were built since pre-

Columbian times which were used for commerce and

later were turned into slavery posts by Europeans.

African Traditions and Customs

• Instruction includes community interaction. Chants are an important vehicle for the transmission of legends, puzzles, proverbs, songs about their history and enviroment.

In PR there is also an intimacy between the dancer and the drummer …

• The styles vary thruout the island: el holandes, sica, etc.

• The dancer indicates to the drummer the style in use and the sound changes in accordance.

• The name of the activity is Bomba and is said to be parts and pieces of an African legacy.

The Ayala Family in Loiza

BO

MBA d

ancin

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Carnaval Rio de la Plata in the township of Dorado

• The relationship of the mask with the audience is a vital part of the ritual. Many times it is the musicians with their drums that introduce this dynamic into the festivities.

Taino Map of Puerto Rico

The original inhabitants: Tainos

• These Cuban masks are made of bone, a material greatly used because of its ability to be carved.

• They were used as body ornaments that had spiritual meaning of twin but opposite forces.

Taino mask of the Dominican Republic

• The original inhabitants had a sacred relationship with their enviroment. These masks were made of various materials including clay. They represented spiritual entities and ancesters similar to the African customs.

Taino mask of Puerto Rico

• Stone sculptures were the preferred media used by the tainos. They made masks, adornments, axes, vessels, cemis, figurines, weights for fishing, belts for their games of batey, etc.

Today’s taino masks

• Artisan markets usually include the gourd as a prime material in making masks that imitates the taino cult to the birds, bats or reptiles. The gourd is also natural to tropical Africa.

Need is the mother of invention

• Africans related to the Taino vision of natural forces as well as the efficient used of their enviroment. Many taino customs were perpetuated by their African counterpart as in the use of gourds.

West African masks

• This Baule mask has hair incorporated into its textured design. It has no paint and is carefully carved very much like the first masks antropoligist Ricardo Alegria found in Loiza in 1948.

West African Masks

• Another very interesting trait found in these masks that was perpetuated in the Caribbean was the inclusion of horns. Many African animals that fed villages were honored in rituals.

The Tropical Climate of West Africa & the Caribbean

From generation to generation

• Mask-making gives a special status in the community.

• It is usually a family matter passed on from father to son.

• They represent dieities that fertilize, protect, give wisdom, values and other special attributes.

Mask-making in Puerto Rico

• We have made and used them since pre-Columbian times.

• The use of materials are varied and respond to the tropical climate.

• A favorite theme of our folklore.

Loiza was founded in 1645.

• Taino village that turned into a haven for Africans of Yoruba descent.

• Site of the Festival de Santiago Apostol in July 25th, 26th and 27th.

• The festival parade goes from the the old Parish Church to the shore of Mediania Alta.

One of the oldest festivals of PR.The festivities always include a pageant of the town’s beauties.

The Santiago Apostol is carried by three guardians responsible to its gender (male,female and child).

• The plaster versions areabundant in house-made alters.However the ones carried in thefestival, especially on the lastday, which is reserved to honorchildren, is made of wood. Itwas supposed to be founded by ahumble fisherman who broughtit to his home. His wife told himto get rid of it and somehow itmiracleously appeared again athis home. The people put metaltrinkets attached to coloredribbons that reflect miraclesthey ask for. Only selectedguardians can house the woodenones.

Attendents carrying the santos. They stop along the way to honor different sub-themes.

Caballeros de Loiza are usually affluent citizens while vejigantes are talented everyday individuals, even the cloth is more expensive. Their masks are made of metal mesh like the Mascaras de Hatillo, celebrated during December 28th.

In the Festival de Máscaras de Hatillo there is also a mesh mask worn by all participants.

This festival is celebrated on the 28th of December rain, thunder or whatever!

The preparation for these

festivals begin the day the last

one ended. In this one jeeps

are used as movable caravans

that jump up and down.

Themes are varied and

deviate a lot from the original

biblical concept of the

scriptures of St. Matthew.

The afkan-like costume of the vejigante of Loizaand Ponce has solid and bold colors with mixedpatterns. When they open their “wings” they lookmore impressive like a peacock.

Siuko©’90

An important stop after honoring past guardians at the cementary: The Ayala compound

The mask is carved out of coconut. The horns come from the palm stems and can be as many as five or ten. The user has to accommodate foam on the inside in order to use it for 12 hrs ore more.

Pedro LaViera, a well-known

mask-maker of Loiza.

The coconut was brought over during the early part of slavery traffic from Africa.

• This facinating planthas provided PuertoRicans since the 16th

century withmaterial to buildtheir homes (roof,walls andstructure);furniture;multiple medicineformulas; musicalinstruments anddelicious foods.

The “Festival de Máscaras de Ponce” is celebrated in February for an entire week.

Founded in the early 17th century, Ponce is also one of the oldest

and most industrial southwestern costal towns of PR.

The vejigante of Ponce is noted for its animalistic features, small multiple dots and horns.

The town red and black town colors are in many elaborations.

Unlike other places, in the Caribbean the Indian and African origins came from arqueological practices in the 19th

century.

Aprocess of elimination: Investigations such as the one by Ana Mirem Villamil will signal out that the aggressive animal characteristics of the Ponce mask is very unlike any Taino ones described in the cronicles of the Spaniards.

• Their dot application ismuch like the Africanmasks.

• They are also unlke anySpanish contribution inmask-making.

• They are also called“diablos” in accordance totheir counterparts in theCaribbean.

These masks in PR are usually related to the Catholic Church’s celebrations of Lent and harvest themes of particular towns.

• In the Caribbean however, like the “Máscaras de Yara” in Venezuela, the festivities extend themselves to

• The dance of Moors and Christians

• Dance of the Patron Saints

• Day of the Dead among others.