historia do ifa emcuba

HISTORIA DO IFA EM CUBA

On Cuban Shores

A British-inspired agreement in 1817 ends the slave trade, but after the agreement,

slaves are imported illegally, and in greater numbers.

The new census breaks down the population thus: 239,000 whites and 331,000 non

whites (blacks and those of mixed heritage).

Between 1821 and 1831, more than 300 expeditions bring over 60,000 slaves to Cuba.

Among these slaves (prior to 1930) were two men important to the history of batá in

Cuba and the rest of the world: Ño Juan el Cojo, Àyànbí, and Ño Filomeno Garcia,

Àtàndá Fálúbí. Ño Juan el Cojo was a babalawo, osainista, and drummer. Filomeno

Garcia was a babalawo, carver/sculptor, and olúbàtá (chief of the drum). The work of

these two men would restore the true batá drums to Cuba.1

1825

On Cuban Shores

It was about this year that Oyó practices became paramount in the religion.2

1826

On Cuban Shores

1 John Mason, pages 12-14.2 Miguel W. Ramos, page 51.

The Spanish schooner Minerva lands 6 boatloads of slaves in the port of Havana at

night. British authorities try to prosecute, however, General Francisco Dionisio, captain

general of Cuba, refuses because they were not caught at high sea.3

1827

On Cuban Shores

The census for this year shows the following breakdown: 311,000 whites, 286,000

slaves, and 106,000 free negroes or mixed bloods. It lists 1,000 sugar mills, 30,090

ranches, 5,534 tobacco farms, and 2,067 coffee plantations.

In the late 1820s, Oyó Ifá priest Ño Remigio Herrera, Addéchina, was enslaved in Cuba.

The exact year of his arrival is not known, for he arrived on one of the undocumented

slave-ships operating illegally at that time.4 He was put to work in a sugar mill and

worked as a slave for an unknown amount of time, however, because of his status as a

Lucumí Ifá priest, other slaves from Oyó quickly paid for his freedom. The year that

his freedom was bought was circa 1827. Within a year of obtaining freedom, he created

Cabildo Lucumí Santa Bárbara at 175 Dahoiz Street, on he corner of Manzaneda Street.

His Cuban priesthood began there, at the Cabildo he opened.5

1828

On Cuban Shores

Cabildo Lucumí Santa Barbara is established by Ño Remigio Herrera, Addéchina. The

address of this cabildo was 175 Dahoiz Street, on the corner of Manzaneda Street.

1830

On Cuban Shores

3 AfroCubaWeb, page 2.4 Remember that the British-inspired agreement of 1817 made slave-trade illegal.5 Miguel W. Ramos, pages 45-46.

It was this year that both Ño Filomeno Garcia and Ño Juan el Cojo began attending

cabildo Alakisa. The name of the cabildo means, “the ragged ones.” It was in Havana on

Egido Street. The drums that were used there, however, were not orthodox, and the two

men wanted to correct his. Together, they built the first set of properly constructed

drums in Cuba, and named them Àyànbí after Ño Juan el Cojo.

1832

On British Shores

British colonies abolish slavery in its entirety.

On Cuban Shores

Between 1790 and 1839, sugar haciendas increase from 400 to 800.

1836

On Oyó’s Shores

The Fulani Jihad causes ancient Oyo’s fall. Many Yoruba are sold into slavery by

conquerors and wound up, illegally, in Cuba.6 The kingdom of Oyo is decimated and no

longer exists within its original boundaries.7

On Cuban Shores

1840’s to 1850s: Miguel W. Ramos documents that sometime in this time period, Ma

Monserrate Apotó Gonzalez, Oba Tero, an Egbádo native, arrived in Cuba. She was

smuggled in one of the slave ships that operated illegally to transport African slaves.8

For this reason, one is unable to determine the exact year of her arrival.

1842

6 AfroCubaWeb, page 2.7 Miguel W. Ramos, 42. 8 Miguel W. Ramos, 43.

On Cuban Shores

The Cuban census reports: 1,037,624 people in Cuba. 448,291 are white, 152,838 are

free blacks, and 436,495 are slaves. The number of slaves almost matches that of

whites. Please note that the total number of Africans on the island now outnumbers

whites by a total of 141,042 people. Those of mixed heritage (biracial) are included in

the count of free blacks by the census.

1843

On Cuban Shores

A slave named Carlotta picks up her machete (“a mad black woman!”) and leads an

uprising at Triunvirato, a sugar mill in Matanzas. Unfortunately, she is killed by

authorities.9

1849

On Cuban Shores

Yucatecan Indians from Mexico are imported for slave labor. At the same time, Chinese

contract workers are entering Cuba in large numbers. This is to offset the difficulty of

importing slave labor from African regions.

Whites enforce segregation in public to stress their superiority.

1850

On Cuban Shores

9 AfroCubaWeb, page 2.

Twenty years after the fall of ancient Oyó in the Yoruba provinces, the population of

Oyó natives and descendants (described as Lukumí by Miguel W. Ramos) totals 35

percent of the slave population. They were the majority among Cuba’s slaves.10

1853

On Cuban Shores

September 23, 1853: Spain appoints the Marquis Juan de la Pezuela as Captain General

of Cuba. He is against slavery, and is assigned the task of suppressing it.

December 7, 1853: Diario de la Marina, a government newspaper, begins a series of

articles discussing slavery and slave trafficking. The articles stress the advantage of a

free labor system.

December 23, 1853: Marquis de la Pezuela issues decrees: Negroes “known by the

name of ‘emancipados’ are all free”; anyone caught importing Africans would be

heavily fined and banished from the island for two years; all governors and lieutenant

governors who fail to advice him of clandestine landings in their respective provinces

will be removed from office. At this time, a black bought in Africa for 40 “duros” could

be sold in Cuba for 700 “duros.” Cuba’s long and broken coastline makes it difficult to

prevent landings. Slave traders continue to risk the established British blockades.

1854

On Cuban Shores

April: A number of influential slave owners meet in Havana with U.S. Consul William

H. Robertson to urge that he persuade U.S. President Pierce to send American troops to

Cuba to prevent slave emancipation.

May: All slave owners are instructed to make a full declaration of their slave property.

This includes name, age and sex of each slave, and purchase information.

10 Miguel W. Ramos, page 42.

1863

On Cuban Shores

Timotea Albear, Latuán, arrived in Cuba in 1863. She and her Congo husband Evaristo

Albear were domestic slaves in the home of Colonel Francisco Albear y Lara. She and

her husband arrived on the same illegal slave ship in Matanzas, and were brought to

Havana..11

In the city of Havana, Andres Facundo Cristo de Dolores Petit begins initiating white

men into the Abakuá mysteries. These rituals and mysteries are derived from the Efik

and Efo tribes from the Cross River Delta in Nigeria. All of the initiates are the children

of rich white families, and are accused of conspiring against Spain.12

1865

On Cuban Shores

March 25, 1865: An article in El Siglio by the Count of Ponzos Dulces (who owned the

paper), announced the formation of the Reform Party, adding that a number of slave and

property owners have joined intellectuals in favoring the end of the slave traffic and the

abolition of slavery.

November 25, 1865: A Royal Decree establishes a Colonial Reform Commission to

discuss proposals to reform the island. A Junta de Información (Board of Information)

is to discuss 3 issues: 1. Special laws already promised and how they are to be founded;

2. How to regulate the work of blacks and Asians and the encouragement of white

immigration; 3. commercial treaties and related tax reforms.

By this time, Creole liberals are encouraged by the end of the Civil War in North

America, the Spanish defeat in the revolution of Santo Domingo, and the victory of

11 Miguel W. Ramos, page 47.12 AfroCubaWeb, page 3.

Juárez in Mexico. Many Cubans are more willing to oppose the government, but most

of the wealthy are still reluctant to risk their property in radical measures. The fear of

the Negroes in a revolution is one of the main restraining factors.

Sometime in the late 1860s, Ma Monserrate Apotó Gonzalez, Oba Tero, acquired her

freedom.13

1866

On Cuban Shores

Remigio Herrera, Addéchina, moved to Havana and established Cabildo Yemayá in

Regla. The drums for this cabildo were also commissioned in 1866.14 Ño Juan el Cojo,

Àyànbí, and Ño Filomeno Garcia, Àtàndá Fálúbí, were the two who built these drums.

They were named after Filomeno, Àtàndá. Eventually, these drums Àtàndá are

confiscated by Cuban authorities.15 It would be quite some time before they were given

back to the cabildo.16 Note that many confuse the cabildo in Havana with the cabildo he

established in Matanzas, Cabildo Lucumí Santa Bárbara. While he helped establish

both, they remained separate entities in their respective areas. [Refer to the years 1827

and 1828.]

1872

On Cuban Shores

By 1872, Remigio Herrera, Addéchina, was established in Regla in a house on 23 San

Ciprián Street.17

1873

13 Miguel W. Ramos, page 45.14 Miguel W. Ramos, page 46.15 John Mason, page 14.16 As an irony, the original drums crafted by these two men and named after Juan, Àyànbí, were inherited after their death by Andres Roche first, and after Andres’ death, they fell into the hands of Andres’ son, Pablo Roche. After inheriting the original batá drums of Cuba from his father, Pablo inherited Àtàndá. The two drums named after their two creators were together again.17 Miguel W. Ramos, page 46.

On Cuban Shores

December 4, 1873: 18 Miguel W. Ramos documents that ere is the first historical

evidence of a tambor played with batá drums to Shangó on his feast day in Cabildo

Santa Barbara. The drums were played by Ño Remigio Herrera, Addéchina. Miguel W.

Ramos documents the following from correspondence with Israel Molinar, a

professional Matanzas historian. The letter was dated October 6, 1999. Israel Molinar

wrote to Miguel Ramos, “An inspector from the town of San Francisco informed the

Civil Governor of the city of Matanzas about a significant incident in the Lucumí

Cabildo Santa Bárbara, situated on Manzaneda Street, on the corner of Velarde, where

Ño Remigio Herrera Addéchina played three strange drums he called batá, in the

celebrations of December 3.”19

AfroCubaWeb documents that the last slave ship disembarks in Cuba.20

1881

Ño Remigio Herrera, Addéchina, moved to 31 San Ciprián Street with his wife

Francisca Buzlet, his stepdaughter Eugenia Lausevio, his own daughter Norma Josefa,

and his son, Teodoro.21

1884

African Cabildos no longer have permission to come out on the Day of Kings.22

Around the 1890s to early 1900s, because the orishas requested it, Lucumí adherents

began sharing knowledge with the Arará. It was Ma Monserrate Gonzalez who began

teaching them about diloggún divination, and in turn, they taught her the secrets of

18 Please compare this entry with that for the year 1830. Although this may be the first historical evidence of a batá played to Shangó on his feast day, the batá drums were first consecrated in 1830, and it would be ludicrous to think that no one played a tambor there for any orisha, or, for that fact, in cabildo Yemayá. 19 Miguel W. Ramos, page 45.20 AfroCubaWeb, page 4.21 Miguel W. Ramos, page 46.22 AfroCubaWeb, page 4.

Babaluaiye, Nanumé, Nana Buruku, and other Arará orishas.23 Note that the Arará in

western Africa had the secrets of cowrie-shell divination, however, those that were

brought to Cuba in slavery either did not retain or did not pass on that knowledge, and

by Ma Monserrate’s time, no one in the Arará cabildos remembered the process or

procedures.24

1896

José Roche (Oshún Kayodé) was ordained this year by Tranquilina Balmaseda (Omi

Yalé), and was provided with multiple orishas.25 Prudencia Alfaro (Olympia Alfaro’s

aunt, a famous priestess of Yemayá) was the ojigbona.26 According to the Lucumí

historian Miguel Ramos, this is the first historical evidence that the royal-centered

Lucumí practices were in place.

1899

December 31, 1899: Remigio Herrera, Adeshina, was the first babalawo to pull down an

odu for the coming year. Six of his godchildren were with him when he established this

custom: Mark Garcia (Ifalola Ejiogbe Meji), Oluguere (Oyekun Meji), Eulogio

Rodriguez (Tata Gaytan Ogundafun), Jose Carmen Batiste (Obewene), Salvador

Montalvo (Okanran Meji), and Bernardine Rojo (Ireteuntendi).The very first letter of

the year, for 1900, was Obara Meji. It came with iré.

1901

December 16, 1901: Nicolas Valentín Angarica was born on December 16, 1901. He

was the child of Rosalina Angarica and Ramón Rubio. He was born in a province of

Matanzas; it is said that his mother was of Lucumí descent. Both of Rosalina’s parents

came from the Oyó region of Africa. Rosalina even retained the Lucumí name given to

23 Miguel W. Ramos, page 60.24 Because the Arará today use the system of composites we use (which some refer to as tonti, such as Obara-tonti-Oché instead of Obara Oché), we can assume that by this time, in Cuba, orisha priests who formerly used only a single-odu system had begun the conversion to composites. But note that this is an unproven assumption, and not one that I would argue with any elder.25 Miguel W. Ramos, page 69.26 Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, 1-2.

her at birth, Ayobo (the princess was taught). The ancestry of his father is not known,

however, it is claimed that he was not of Lucumí descent. The parents were never

married and he retained his mother’s last name.

1902

Remigio Herrera suffered multiple health problems and was unable to practice as an

active Ifá priest.

December 31, 1902: Because Remigio Herrera suffered multiple health problems, his

godson Eulogio Rodriguez (Tata Gaytan Ogundafun) assumed the responsibility of

organizing the letter of the year. With him were the following babalawos: Secundino

Crucet (Osaloforbeyo), Bernabe Menocal (Ejiogbe Meji), Quintin Lecon Garcia

(Oturaniko), and Jose Asuncion Villalonga (Ogundamasa). Others less noted also

helped in the organization of the letter of the year at this point.

1904

María Eugenía Pérez was born this year.27

1906

In 1906 Remigio Herrera (Adeshina) died and Bernardine Rojo became his successor

for organizing the letter of the year. Under the trusteeship of Tata Gaytan he assumed all

responsibility for the letter of the year.

Josefina Aguirre (Oshún Gere) was ordained by Tranquilina Balmaseda (Omi Sanjá).

She received multiple orishas in her ordination.28

December 31, 1906: Due to Remigio Herrera’s death, Bernardine Rojo assumed all

responsibility for organizing the letter of the year. Due to age and declining health,

Eulogio Rodriguez (Tata Gaytan Ogundafun) stepped down as an active leader and

27 Miguel W. Ramos, page 69.28 Miguel W. Ramos, page 69.

guided Bernardine Rojo from behind the scenes. Juan Antonio Ariosa (Ogbetua), Tatica

(Obararete), Joaquin Salazar (Osaloforbeyo), Cornelio Vidal (Ogbeshe), Miguel Febles

(Odika), and Aurelio Estrada (Ejiogbe Meji) were all major organizers for the next few

years, under Bernardine Rojo’s leadership.

1907

Egbádo descendant and priestess of Shangó, initiated in Egbádo regions, Ma Monserrate

Apotó Gonzalez, Oba Tero, dies. Oral history recounts that she was a centurion, well

over 100 years old at her death.29

1910

In the year 1910, month and date unknown, the man who brought the mysteries of the

batá drums to Cuba, Ño Juan el Cojo, Àyànbí, died.30

1913

July 10, 1913: Felicita “Fela” Mendez was born in Loiza Aldea, Puerto Rico, on July

10, 1913.31

1923

July 23, 1923: María Eugenía Pérez was ordained on July 23, 1923, to Oshún. Her name

in ocha was Oshún Niké. She was crowned by Luisa Arango, Shangó Ladé. Timotea

Albear was the oriaté. In this ordination, the iyawó received all the following orishas:

Elegguá, Ogún, Ochosi, Obatalá, Yemayá, Shangó, and Oshún, her crowning orisha.

According to the Lucumí historian Miguel Ramos, this is the earliest historical evidence

we have that the Lucumí rituals used today were in place, as María received all the

orishas that a modern Lucumí initiate would receive. [Note: in my own lineage, it is

customary for Oshún to go in with Aganyú. I need to recheck this information, however,

with my godfather.] Other olorishas ordained during this time period also received

29 Miguel W. Ramos, page 43.30 John Mason, page 14.31 On February 20, 1955, Fela Mendez is ordained to Shangó. See the 1955 entry for more information.

multiple orishas: Aurelia Mora (Omi Dina), Basilia Cárdenas Massip (Omi Dina), and

Nemensia Espinoza (Oshún Miwá).32

1927

November 10, 1927: Olympia Alfaro was born in Havana, Cuba, in the Buena Vista

section of Marianao.33

1935

February, 1935: This is the month documented by Miguel W. Ramos that Timotea

Albear died.34

December, 1935: In December of 1935, on the series of Cuban radio shows known as

Cuatro Charlas Radiofónicas (Four Radio Chats), Gustavo Urrutia, a black scholar, had

batá played for the public for the first time.35

1936

An “ethnographic conference” including a live performance of Lucumí music was

performed in Cuba in 1936. Pablo Roché played Iyá, Aguedo Morales played Itótele,

and Jesús Pérez played Okónkolo.36

1939

May 1, 1939: Armando Franci was ordained to Yemayá by Josefa Masa, Babá Funke,

on May 1, 1939. His ojigbona was Clara Omisaya. In ocha, his name was Omi Dina.

The oriaté Domingo Aye Oba was his ocha twin. Note that later, Armando would

receive pinaldo from the hands of Domingo Aye Oba. Tomas Romero was the oriaté for

these ceremonies. As of the writing of this timeline (today’s date is September 7, 2006)

Armando Franci is still alive, well, and working in Havana, Cuba. 32 Miguel W. Ramos, page 69.33 Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, 1.34 Miguel W. Ramos, 53.35 John Mason, page 18.36 Schweitzer, 28.

1941

Nicolas Valentín Angarica was ordained by Lorenzo Octavio Samá. In ocha, his name

became Oba Tola. The month and day of this ordination are not known to this author.

He studied to become an oriaté with his godfather until Obadimeji’s death in 1944.

1944

On Cuban Shores

January 27, 1944: Pancho Mora was initiated to Ifá on January 27, 1944. His godfather

in Ifá was babalawo Quintin Lecon.37 Pancho Mora’s Ifá name became Mòrótì (Ifá’s

knowledge pushes aside difficulty).

October, 1944: Lorenzo Octavio Samá, Obadimeji, dies.38

1946

On United States Shores

Pancho Mora, Ifá Mòrótì (Ifá’s knowledge pushes aside difficulty), immigrated to the

United States in 1946. He settled in New York. He established the first ilé ocha in the

city. He was also the first person in the United States to practice Ifá divination.39

1947

On Cuban Shores

37 Marta Moreno Vega, page 1.38 Please note that Lorenzo Octavio Samá, Obadimeji, was the first male oriaté in Cuba, trained by Timotea Albear. During his career, he trained only two other oriatés: Tomas Romero, Ewin Leti (the second male oriaté in Cuba), and Nicolas Valentin Angarica, Oba Tola. Tomas Romero’s training as an oriaté was the more complete of the two, and Lorenzo recognized him as his only equal (beyond his mentor Timotea) on the island. Nicolas was initiated in 1941, and had only studied for roughly 2-3 years with Lorenzo before his death in 1944.39 Marta Moreno Vega, page 1.

July, 1947: Josefa Herrera-Pepa, Eshubi, died. She was well into her 80s at her death.

1950

On Cuban Shores

November 7, 1950: On November 7, 1950, Arturo Sardiña was initiated to Yemayá by

Rigoberto “de la Madruga” Rodriguez. His name in ocha became Olomidara. The

coronation was done in Madruga, Cuba.

1952

On Cuban Shores

Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, a folkloric group, formed in 1952. They toured

internationally in the 1980s, and in the United States in 1952. In 1996, they would

release a CD devoted to Lucumí rhythms, Ito Iban Echu.40


Cuban-born Mercedes Nobles moved to New York in 1952.41

1953

Secular performances of batá in Las Vegas.42

1955

On Cuban Shores

February 20, 1955: Felicita “Fela” Mendez (born July 10, 1913, in Loiza Aldea, Puerto

Rico) was crowned to Shangó on February 20, 1955, in Cuba, by her godmother Rita

40 Schweitzer, 181.41 Marta Moreno Vega, page 3.42 Schweitzer, 28.

Miranda (Eguín Lade). Her ojigbona was Juana Nuñez (Eguín Yemi). The oriaté for her

ceremonies was Maximilian “Orda Ayicoi.” Her name in ocha was Shangó Gumi. Her

godson, Luis Rivera (Oke Ewe), became the santero responsible for creating the lineage

piraña.43


There were probably no more than twenty-five santeros and babalawos in all of New

York City in 1955. Among these were the babalawo Pancho Mora.44

December 4, 1955: Francisco Aguabella and Julito Collazo attended their first Lucumí

ritual in New York City. Willie the Bolitero45 (numbers runner) gave this celebration for

Shangó. It took place at 111th Street and St. Nicolas Avenue in Harlem, at the Palladium

night club.46

1956


According to Marta Vega, the first public orisha event occurred in this year. She wrote,

“In 1956, the Afro-Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria organized the first public

performance of orisha music and dance at the Palladium night club, in tribute to the

Yoruba orisha Shangó. Julito Collazo performed songs and dances for the orisha

Shangó and made a broad audience aware of this ancient African belief system.”47

1958

On Cuban Shores

43 Felicita Mendez herself was pimienta. In previous drafts of this timeline, I referred to Fela as the godmother to the piraña lineage; by that statement, I meant that she was the woman who crowned Luis Rivera, the man responsible for the actual lineage of piraña. It is Luis, I must emphasize, who was the first “piraña.”44 Marta Moreno Vega, pages 1-3.45 Willie el Bolitero was an Afro-Puerto Rican crowned by Pancho Mora’s sister. For more information, see the Marta Moreno Vega article referenced for this work.46 Marta Moreno Vega, page 2.47 Marta Moreno Vega, page 3.

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba was formed with Jesús Pérez and Lazaro Ros as

two of its founding members.48

March 9, 1958: Mercedes Nobles was crowned in Cuba on March 9, 1958, by Marina

Ofún Tola. The ojigbona was Caridad Saldivar.49

December 31, 1958: The babalawos in Cuba brought down the odu Ofún Ogbe in

osogbo; it was determined that Olokun was ruling that year. As ebó, the babalawos

were to perform Olokun’s dance with masks, however, they were afraid. Alternate ebós

were offered. Olokun accepted.

1959

On Cuban Shores

January 1, 1959: Fidel Castro begins his rise to power in Cuba.

May 9, 1959: In Cuba, Bernardine Rojo passed away.

August 5, 1959: Asunción Serrano, “Sunta,” was initiated to Obatalá in Guanabacoa,

Cuba, on August 5, 1959. Her name in ocha became Osá Aunko. Some credit her as

being the first Puerto Rican initiated in Cuba. Some also credit her as being the first to

initiate American blacks and whites into the religion, and during her life, she worked

closely with Walter King in the days of the Yoruba Temple in New York City. She was

born in the year 1902, and died in 1986.

August 26, 1959: Christopher Oliana and Walter Eugene King, two African Americans

from New York, were initiated as ocha twins in Jovellanos, Matanzas Province, Cuba.

Walter King was crowned to Obatalá and named Oseijeman Adefunmi, making him the

eldest and the first African American initiated in the Lucumí system. Christopher Oliana

48 Schweitzer, 28.49 Barcadi, interview.

was crowned to Aganyú and named Obailumi, making him the second African

American initiated in the Lucumí system.50


March 9, 1959: On Mercedes Nobles’ (Oban Yoko) first ocha birthday, March 9, 1959,

Julito Collazo played her tambor.51

1960


January, 1960: Walter King (Oseijeman Adefunmi), Christopher Oliana (Obailumi),

Clarence Robbins (who later crowned Elegguá), Royal G. Brown, Bonsu, and Mama

Keké (who later crowned Oshún), established the African Theological Archministy,

Inc.52

1961


1961 (Month and date unknown to author): Mercedes Nobles, Obanjoko, performed the

first ordination in the United States, in New York City. She crowned Julia Franco to

Shangó. Oreste Blanco was the oriaté for her ordination. The ceremonies occurred at

610 W 136th St in Manhattan. Many came to know this address as “the basement” and

many ordinations still occur there today (2006).53

Yoruba Andabo, a rumba group, was formed from Havana dockworkers in 1961. Batá

drummer Pancho Quinto was a founding member.54

50 Babalorisha Obalorun Temujin Ekunfeo, page 1-2.51 Marta Moreno Vega, page 3.52 Babalorisha Obalorun Temujin Ekunfeo, page 2.53 Barcadi, interview. 54 Schweitzer, 159.

Summer, 1961: Pancho Mora held a religious drum feast, a bembé, for the orisha

Shangó in Casa Carmen, a dance hall in the Bronx, New York City. Julito Collazo led

the drummers. They played batá abèrínkùlà.55 John Mason mistakenly attributes this as

the first bembé given in the United States in his book Orin Orisa. My own research has

shown the first bembé to be on December 4, 1955; it was given by Willie The Bolitero

in honor of Shangó. See the December 4, 1955 entry for more information. As a note to

myself: This demands more research.

1963

Nicolas Valentín Angarica, Obatola, died in 1963.

1964

On Cuban Shores

July 28, 1964: Angel Pedro Bolaños Corrales (known as Angel Bolaños), a folklore

musician and professor of folkloric music in Havana, Cuba, was ordained to Yemayá by

his godmother “Bellita.”56


In 1964, babalawo Pancho Mora held a public drum ceremony for the orishas that

attracted 3,000 people. Among those in attendance were Latin music performers Julio

Collazo and Machito.57

1967

December, 1967 (day unknown to author): Asunción Serrano, “Sunta,” initiated Renaud

Simmons (a.k.a. Teddy) in December of 1967. He was the first African American oriaté

in New York City; he was also an apuón and drummer.58

55 John Mason, page 19.56 Schweitzer, 34-36.57 Marta Moreno Vega, page 3. 58 Barcadi, interview.

1968

July 25, 1968: Olympia Alfaro (born November 10, 1927 in Havana, Cuba) was

crowned by Carlos Garcia on July 25, 1968. She was made to Yemayá, and her name in

ocha became Omi Sanyá. She arrived in the US in 1969, and was one of the more

influential apuóns in the country.59

1972

August, 1972: On this date, Temujin Ekunfeo writes, “Walter King (Oseijeman

Adefunmi) was ordained into the Ifá priesthood with the Oluwa (King) of Ijeun at

Abeokuta, Nigeria.”60

1974

From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye was

founded in the state of Florida by: Iyalosha Carmen Pla, Babalosha Raul Rodriguez,

Oba Ernesto Pichardo, Babalosha Fernando Pichardo, Attorney Gino Negretti. C.L.B.A.

was created according to spiritual guidance and mandates of Encarnacio De La Caridad

y Rodriguez, an Oshún spirit, and confirmations were established through divination

with the orishas.”61

1975


February 13, 1975: In the United States, the first set of Añá batá drums was consecrated

in Miami, Florida. Babalawo Pipo Peña (Ogbeyonu) consecrated them with 16

babalawos and various olorishas present. Okilapá was the name given to the drums;

59 Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, 2. 60 Babalorisha Obalorun Temujin Ekunfeo, page 2.61 Ernesto Pichardo, page 1.

they were named after Pablo Roche, a famous Cuban batá drummer. Not long after this,

Peña, his sons Arturo and Reynaldo, and Julito Collazo were consecrated as omó Añá.62

Note that in Orin Orisa, John Mason writes, “Àyàn (Mason’s preferred spelling

for Añá) was not to arrive until 1976 when the babalawo Olòsun and omo Àyàn, ‘Pipo’

Pina, of Miami, brought a consecrated set from Cuba. This set of Àyàn first came to

New York in 1976 and was played in the Harlem home of the well known ritual singer

and Yemoja (Mason’s preferred spelling) Priestess, Olympia Alfaro.”63 This is at odds

with what the Cuban-American scholar and Oba/Oriaté Miguel Ramos has written

regarding the history of these drums in “Calling to the Heavens: A Tribute to the Late

Lukumí Apuón Olympia Alfaro, Omí Sanyá.”

[http://ilarioba.tripod.com/Callheaven.htm]. I invite anyone with more information

regarding these drums to write to me at [email protected]; however, I trust the

scholarship of Miguel Ramos over that of John Mason regarding this issue, as he was a

personal friend of Olympia Alfaro until her death recently, and she was intimately

entwined in the history of this set of drums.

1976


Date unknown, 1976: Okilapá, the batá drums born in Miami on February 13, 1975,

were played in 1976 in New York for the first time at the home of apuón Olympia

Alfara, in Harlem. Julito Collazo played Iyá, Pipo played Itótele, and Pipo’s son played

Okónkolo. Antonio Gonzalez, a priest and mount of Yemayá, danced Yemayá. New

York initiates were finally presented to Añá.64

1978


From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “First three day conference with scholars,

Catholic and Lukumi priests. Sponsored by Florida Endowment for the Humanities, the

62 Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, 4-5.63 John Mason, page 19.64 John Mason, page 19, and Miguel Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, page 5.

mailto:[email protected]

University of Miami, and Dr. O. R. Dathorne director of African American Studies. The

first ordination to the patron orisha Babalu Aye was performed at Oyo-Tunji African

Village, founding of Babalu Aye site, and the introduction of the orisha Oba.”65

1979-1982


From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: [These years of the C.L.B.A. were]

“Dedicated to academic research and presentations, thesis assistance, and development

of Church structure.”66

1980

On Cuban Shores

April: 10,000 Cubans go to the Peruvian embassy in Havana demanding political

asylum. These refugees leaves from the Mariel port to the U.S. This exodus continues

until September of this year, sending 125,000 refugees to US shores.

Batá masters Orlando “Puntilla” Rios, Juan “El Negro” Raymat, and many others came

to both Miami and New York as a result of the Mariel Boat Lift.67

300,000 Haitians flee Haiti dictatorship and travel to Cuba. Cuba accepts all refugees.

These Haitians establish a form of Vodu on the island, much as the Mariel boatlift

helped to establish greater numbers of santeros and babalawos in the US.

1981


65 Ernesto Pichardo, page 1. 66 Ernesto Pichardo, page 1.67 Schweitzer, 47.

Temujin Ekunfeo writes, “. . . while presenting a paper at a conference on Orisa

tradition at the University of Ilé Ifé, Nigeria, [Oseijeman Adefunmi (Walter King)] was

presented to Okunade Sijuwade, Olubouse II, the Ooni of Ifé. The Ooni ordered the

chiefs of Ifé to perform the rites of coronation on him. He was crowned, Oba Efuntola

Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I and given the ceremonial sword of office inscribed with

the name of his Liege Lord the Ooni, which grants him the right to speak in the name of

the Ooni. He is the first African American to receive such an honor.”68

Throughout the early 80s, after arriving in New York in 1981, Orlando “Puntilla” Rios

forms Nueva Generación, a folkloric group that presented batá rhythms in public

venues.69

1983

On Cuban Shores

Lazara Cuesta makes Ifá with Miguel Febles, Odika. Lazara’s name in Ifá becomes

Iwori Bofun. He studies with Miguel until Miguel dies in December of 1986.


The first case in the United States regarding animal sacrifice was litigated in New York.

The case referenced is First Church of Changó v. American Society for the Prevention

of Cruelty to Animals; 134 A.D.2d 971, 621 N.Y.S.2d 356. The judge ruled that there

was no legal protection for religious animal sacrifices, and they were prohibited under

New York state anti-cruelty law.70

1983 – 1984


68 Babalorisha Obalorun, page 2. 69 Schweitzer, 181.70 Author Unknown, page 1.

From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “Established the first academic and religious

group called Institute for New World Studies. The group acquired funding through the

Florida Endowment for the Humanities, to carry out workshops on Afro-Caribbean

religions for law enforcement, hospitals, mental health professionals, and cultural

organizations. Implemented the first local ABC news series on Afro-Cuban forms of

worship. Our first film contract came through Soto Productions of California. This was

a PBS national documentary on Miami, which included Santeria. CLBA and Dade

County School Board representatives met, and established religious exemptions for

newly ordained students, during a school calendar year.”71

1985


From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “CLBA developed and established the first

courses on Afro-Caribbean religions offered through Miami Dade Community College.

The first book titled Odúduwa, and a Lukumí Divination educational video, were

produced. Universal Studios producer of the series Miami Vice contracted our

representatives and consultants for a pilot episode. As did Tri-Star motion pictures on a

film titled Band on the Hand. CLBA intervention delivered victory on cruelty to animal

charges on thirteen Ifá priests.”72

1986


Asunción Serrano, “Sunta,” died in 1986 in New York City.

In the United States, from the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “A presentation for the

State of Florida Folk-life Festival was done. Mental Health Association of Dade County

began as sponsors in conjunction with CLBA to provide accredited law enforcement

training. Our first organizational committee of sixteen members was formed, for the

71 Ernesto Pichardo, page 1.72 Ernesto Pichardo, page 2.

purpose of development and implementation of a community church, and educational

center. CLBA offered its first courses on Bata drums, divination, and Yoruba history.

CLBA began its first general support campaign for the purpose of recruiting members

and officers among senior priests and priestesses of Dade County.”73

On Cuban Shores

December, 1986: Miguel Febles, Odika, dies. He had been the elder Ifá priest in Cuba

since the early 1970’s.

December, 1986: La Comision Organizada is officially organized and named. It’s

purpose is to take out the letter of the year in honor of Miguel Febles, Odika, who died

in December of this same year. Normally the ceremonies are held in a house in the

municipality of 10 de Octubre. This organization operates independently of the state and

has no official ties to Fidel Castro. Since 1986, the Comisión Organizadora de la Letra

del Año Miguel Febles Padrón has performing this ceremony for Cuba and the rest of

the world.

1987

On Cuban Shores

Ifá Ayer, Ifá Hoy, and Ifá Mañana (Ifá yesterday, Ifá today, and Ifá tomorrow) was

formed in 1987. It’s original founders were Feliberto O’Farril, Manuel Ibañez, Reinaldo

Blayo, and others, with Eustaguio Delgado “Tatica” as its head. This group gathered

with the blessings of Fidel Castro, and participated in the welcoming of the Oni of Ifé

when he visited Cuba in the late 1980s. This organization quickly fell apart.


73 Ernesto Pichardo, page 2.

June 9, 1987: The city council of Hialeah, Florida, held an emergency public council

meeting regarding the opening of the Church of the Lucumí of Babalu Aye. They

adopted resolution 87-66. In this resolution, it was written that, “. . . certain religions

may propose to engage in practices which are inconsistent with public morals, peace, or

safety . . . the City reiterates its commitment to a prohibition against any and all acts of

any and all religious groups which are inconsistent with public morals, peace, or

safety.” Following resolution 87-66, they then enacted an emergency ordinance,

Ordinance 87-40. This ordinance was in reference to anyone who, “unnecessarily or

cruelly . . . kills any animal.”74

Mid-July, 1987: Responding to the Hialeah city council’s request for more information

regarding the Florida State Statutes regarding animal cruelty laws, the attorney general

of Florida wrote back to the city council, “ritual sacrifice of animals for purposes other

than food consumption [are not] necessary . . . “ Therefore, the attorney general

reasoned, religious practices of the Lucumí faith were prohibited by state statute

828.12.75

August 4, 1987: Awó Osún was formed, an egbe established by initiates of Oshún in

NYC. It is the first and oldest egbe orisha in the city.76

September, 1987: The city council of Hialeah, Florida, created the following statutes to

foil the Lucumí practices of animal sacrifice: Ordinance 87-52, Ordinance 87-71, and

Ordinance 87-72. A definition of sacrifice was provided in ordinance 87-52: “to

unnecessarily kill, torment, torture, or mutilate an animal in a public or private ritual or

ceremony not for the primary purpose of food consumption.” Exemptions were

provided for non-ritual situations. Ordinance 87-71 declared, “it shall be unlawful for

any person, persons, corporations, or association to sacrifice any animal within the

corporate limits of the City of Hialeah, Florida.” Ordinance 87-72 gave a definition of

slaughter: “the killing of animals for food.”77

74 Justice Kennedy, page 1.75 Justice Kennedy, pages 1-2.76 Diaz, conversation.77 Justice Kennedy, page 2.

September/October, 1987: CLBA and Ernesto Pichardo filed suit in the United States

District Court, Southern Florida District. Hialeah, the mayor, and individuals of the city

council were named as defendants.78

In the United States, from the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “CLBA celebrated its

pre-opening as an established Lukumí community church. A general educational

curriculum was implements. After several months of political controversy, the order to

Florida Power & Light, and Department of Water and Sewer to stop services, came

from city officials. CLBA had its victory and officially opened as the first Lukumí

Church in the United States. The controversy, heated by the enactment of three city

ordinances banning ritual animal sacrifices, caused CLBA to sue the City of Hialeah

claiming the ordinances violated First Amendment rights. National and international

media took intense interest on this landmark case. During the Papal visit to Miami,

ABC world news presented CLBA as the authentic competitor of the Catholic Church,

among Hispanics. The editorial board of the Miami Herald published its first support on

behalf of CLBA pertaining to its legal rights.”79

1988


From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “CLBA relocated to a storefront across from

Hialeah City Hall. Pending litigation in Federal Court, this location was vandalized

numerous times. Law enforcement entered Church premises daily. Members were

stopped leaving the Church. Christian denominations protested frequently, and its

activists implemented in a hate campaign, joined by several animal rights

organizations.”80

Olympia Alfaro and Miguel W. Ramos appeared in two stage productions in Miami,

Florida: Wemilere, Fiesta a los Orishas and Ibolorun, Paraiso Yoruba. They were the

apuóns for these two productions.81

78 Justice Kennedy, page 2. 79 Ernesto Pichardo, page 2. 80 Ernesto Pichardo, page 2. 81 Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, 5.

On Cuban Shores

December 31, 1988: The Organizing Commission meets in Havana, Cuba, to determine

the letter of the year for 1989.

1989

On Cuban Shores

January 1, 1989: The Organizing Commission declares the odu Ejiogbe Meji to be the

letter of the year for 1989.


From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “Joined by the support of American Civil

Liberties Union, and Attorney Jorge Duarte, CLBA went to trial at the US Federal

District Court. In support of city interests Attorney Michael J. Neimand, office of the

Attorney General, for the State of Florida, joined with Amicus Curiae. Followed in

support as witnesses by Michael Fox and Mark Paulhus, from the United States

Humane Society.”82

1990

On Cuban Shores

Sometime in the 1990s, Yoruba Cultural Association is born from the ashes of Ifá Ayer,

Ifá Hoy, and Ifá Mañana.

82 Ernesto Pichardo, page 3.

Havana, Cuba, batá drummer Pancho Quinto was interviewed for a documentary El

País de los Orichas. Clips of Pancho’s drumming and dancing were included, as was

the group Yoruba Andabo, whose performances were featured in the film.83

1992

On Cuban Shores

Yoruba Andabo collaborates with Jane Bunnett, a Canadian saxophonist, on her CD

Spirits of Havana.84

1993


Christopher Oliana, Obailumi, dies in 1993 in New York city.

Blackmind Book Boutique releases El País de los Orichas in Brooklyn.85

June 11, 1993: Ernesto Pichardo, on his website, wrote, “United States Supreme Court

in a unanimous landmark ruling overturned the lower courts, in favor of CLBA. The

decision established that Hialeah laws were unconstitutional, and religious animal

sacrifices of the Lukumí faith are constitutionally protected. This ruling is applicable in

all States. For research purposes, net search under “Church of the Lukumí of Babalu

Aye” or “Animal Sacrifice.” There are many sites available that present the

documentation. In a settlement agreement, Hialeah agreed to pay approximately five

hundred thousand dollars for CLBA legal fees. CLBA never sued for compensation on

damages. A one dollar compensation was paid to CLBA by acting Mayor Julio Martinez

as a symbol of reconciliation. Nationwide all pending cruelty to animal cases related to

our faith were dismissed.”86

83 Schweitzer, 159.84 Schweitzer, 159.85 Schweitzer, 159.86 Ernesto Pichardo, page 3.

1994

On Cuban Shores



1995

On Cuban Shores

January 1, 1995: The Organizing Commission declares Ejiogbe Meji to be the letter of

the year for 1995.




From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “The first historic group of forty senior Ifá,

Oriate, Iyalosha, Babalosha, priests and priestesses became officially certified as clergy

members of the Lukumi/Ayoba religion through CLBA.”87

1996

From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “CLBA established the first Lukumi radio

program, with weekly transmissions for adherents in Cuba, through La Voz Del Cid.”88

Callejón de los Rumberos is released by Yoruba Andabo.89

87 Ernesto Pichardo, page 3.88 Ernesto Pichardo, page 3.89 Schweitzer, 159.

January 1, 1996: The Organizing Commission declares Ejiogbe Meji to, again, be the

letter ruling the year.



1997 – 1998

From the C.L.B.A. Resume 1974 – 1999: “CLBA relocated to one block south of

Hialeah City Hall. Performed our first Lukumí marriages in Miami and Washington;

newborn naming ceremony, and reestablished an extensive educational and cultural

curriculum. CLBA has become the only established Lukumí Church in the US, with the

largest membership of adherents, priests, and priestesses of all ranks, in this hemisphere.

Performed several religious services for adherents in the Federal Correctional

institution. Established our internet site.”90

1997

January 1, 1997: The Organizing Commission declares Odí Trupon to the letter of the

year for 1997.

Chamalongo is released by Jane Bunnett, a Canadian saxophonist. Pancho Quinto

appears in her recordings.91


the letter of the year for 1998. The Ifá priests Frank Cabrera, Lazaro Cuesta, David

Cedron, Raul Sotero, Raul Dominguez, Cesar Baguez, Ricardo Guerra and others

officiated at the ceremony.

1998

90 Ernesto Pichardo, page 3.91 Schweitzer, 159.

January 1, 1998: The Organizing Commission declares Ejiogbe Meji to the letter of the

year for 1998. Obatalá ruled, accompanied by Yemayá. The flag was white with blue

borders.

January: Papal visit to Cuba. Jaime Ortega, the cardinal of Havana refuses to allow a

meeting between the Pope and Afro Cuban religious representatives. Meetings are

arranged with Protestants and Jews.

Pancho Quinto records his own album, En el Solar la Cueva del Humo.92

1999

The Yoruba Cultural Association invites the Organizing Commission to join its ranks.

The Organizing Commission declines because the administration (the government) and

not the babalawos would be in control of the organization.

Pancho Quinto records with Omar Sosa on Spirit of Roots and Bembón.93

Abbilona, a batá ensemble from Havana, Cuba, begins releasing CDs of batá music.

Over time, they come to release a total of 16 CDs.94

2000

Pancho Quinto records again with Canadian saxophonist Jane Bennett in Ritma &

Soul.95

December 31, 2000: The Yoruba Cultural Association meets to determine the letter of

the year for 2001. It was pulled at the following address: Prado No. 615, entre Monte y

Dragones, Municipio Habana Vieja.

Olympia Alfaro appears in the HBO movie For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval

Story.96

92 Schweitzer, 159.93 Schweitzer, 159.94 Schweitzer, 182.95 Schweitzer, 159.96 Ramos, Calling to the Heavens, 5.

July 2000: Juan Garcia Fernández replaced Teresa González as the director of Conjunto

Folklórico Nacional. He served from July 2000 until April 2004.

2001

January 1, 2001: The Yoruba Cultural Association announces that the letter of the year

for 2001 is Iroso Ogbe. The witnesses were Ogbe Oché and Oché Bile. The prophesy

was: Iré ariku oyale lese Orunmila (A blessing of heath given to us by Orunmila).

Yemayá ruled, accompanied by Elegguá. The flag was blue with red and white

trimming.

Pancho Quinto records with the Puente Brothers in Morumba Cubana.97

September 11, 2001: Lazaro Ros was nominated for the Best Folk Album in the Latin

Grammy Awards.

December 31, 2001: The Organizing Commission of the Letter of the Year of Miguel

Febles Padrón pulled down the letter of the year for 2002. As they have done since the

year 1986, for Cuba and the world in general. in the temple-house located in Av. 10 de

Octubre # 1509 between Josefina and Gertrudis, Víbora, Municipio 10 de Octubre,

Habana City, Cuba. The ceremony was presided by the Ifá priest Guillermo Diago

“Ogbe Weñe”.

December 31, 2001: The Yoruba Cultural Association met to pull the letter for the year

2002. It was pulled at the following address: Prado No. 615, entre Monte y Dragones,

Municipio Habana Vieja.

2002

January 1, 2002: The Organizing Commission determined Ogbe Yono to be the odu

ruling 2002. Shangó governed, accompanied by Yemayá. The flag was red with blue

borders.

97 Schweitzer, 159.

January 1, 2002: The Yoruba Cultural Association determined Oché Meji was the letter

of the year for 2002. Prophecy: iré arikú elese Oshún. Yemaya governed, accompanied

by Orúnmila. The flag was blue with a green border.

March 5, 2002: Renaud Simmons, the first African-American oriaté in New York City,

passed away on March 5, 2002.98

July 16, 2002: Lazaro Ros receives the Fernando Ortiz prize in Cuba for his musical

accomplishments.

December 31, 2002: On December 31, 2002, the Yoruba Cultural Association met to

determine the letter of the year for 2003. It was pulled at the following address: Prado

No. 615, entre Monte y Dragones, Municipio Habana Vieja.

December 31, 2002: On December 31, 2002, the Organizing Commission gathered to

determine the letter of the year for 2003, with 817 priests of Ifá met, in representation of

the immense majority of the branches of families in Cuba, in addition counting on the

endorsement of priests of Ifá in the following countries: Brazil, Belgium, Colombia,

Costa Rica, Spain, United States, Mexico, Italy, England, Panama, Puerto Rico, and

Venezuela, in the house temple located in Avenue Tenth of October #1509 between

Josefina and Gertrudis, Viper, municipality: Tenth of October, Havana City, Cuba. The

ceremony was presided over by the Ifá priest Guillermo Diago, “Ogbe Weñe.”

2003

January 1, 2003: On January 1, 2003, the Yoruba Cultural Association announced the

letter Okana Oché was the odu for the year. The prophecy: iré arikú yale tesi elese

Orúnmila (firm luck and health at the feet of Orúnmila). Obatalá ruled, accompanied by

Oyá. The flag was white with stripes of color. The ebó was: One rooster, two pigeons,

and two hens (to Obatalá and Oyá), hair from one’s head, used rope, stripes of colors,

trash from one’s house, dirt from a road, a read parrot feather, sand from a river,

98 Barcadi, interview.

raspadura de las herramientas de Ogún, ewe de Osain, rum, red palm oil, smoked fish

and jutía, toasted corn, a candle, a coconut, and opolopowo.

Pancho Quinto records with Jane Bennett again: Cuban Odyssey.99

January 1, 2003: The Organizing Commission announced that Ogundá Ogbe was the

odu ruling 2003. The prophecy was: Osogbo Ikú intorí arojé (Death due to complaints,

debates, and offenses) Olófin Onire (Olófin blesses and defends). The ebó was an

offering to Eshu, 3 balls of cooked cornmeal with canary seeds. Elegguá ruled the year,

accompanied by Oshún. The flag was half white and half black with yellow borders.

June 5, 2003: Baldomero Ricardo Cané Gómez, a senior member of Los Muñequitos de

Matanzas and initiate of Shangó, died in the Provincial Hospital of Matanzas. He was

54 years old.

November 2003: The United States begins denying entrance to all Cuban musical

groups. All visas for performance artists are systematically denied. The Bush

administration quoted “security concerns” as the reason for all denials.

December 31, 2003: Organizing Commission of the Letter of the Year of Miguel Febles

Padrón pulled down the letter of the year for 2004, as they have done since the year

1986, for Cuba and the world in general. in the temple-house located in Av. 10 de

Octubre # 1509 between Josefina and Gertrudis, Víbora, Municipio 10 de Octubre,

Habana City, Cuba. The ceremony was presided by the Ifá priest Guillermo Diago

“Ogbe Weñe”. The youngest priest drew the letter, counting with the presence of a great

number of national and international renown and capable Ifá priests, whose analysis and

valuations are summarized in the orientations that the following document exposes.

December 31, 2003: The Yoruba Cultural Society of Cuba met to determine the letter of

the year for 2004.

2004

99 Schweitzer, 159.

January 1, 2004: The Organizing Commission declares Babá Ejiogbe Meji to be the

ruling letter of the year for 2004. Prophecy: Iré Omá Alaye Umbelaye lowo Olokun:

Blessing of intelligence for the incapable that lives of richness. Obatalá reigned,

accompanied by Oshún. The flag was White with yellow border or trimming. This

information was not readily available to the world, as it was blocked by Fidel Castro

and the YCA

January 1, 2004: The Yoruba Cultural Society of Cuba determines the letter of the year

to be Ogundá Meji. For its part, the Sociedad draw Ogunda Meyi with the prophecy Iré

Arikú oyale tesi lese Orúnmila (a firm blessing of good health because of Orúnmila) and

for them Oshún rules accompanied by Obatalá. Their flag was yellow with a white

border.

January 2, 2004: La Sociedad Cultural Yoruba de Cuba gave its press conference to

release the letter of the year. The Organizing Commission was not able to release its

letter of the year, due to financial and state-imposed constraints, until January 6, 2004.

January 11, 2004: The Organizing Commission held a tambor in honor of the letter of

the year, in honor of the reigning Orishas at the Temple-House at Calle 39 # 9018,

between 90 and 92, Marianao (House of Bernardo Rojas).

April, 2004: Manoclo Miller replaced Juan Garcia Fernández as the director of

Conjunto Folklórico Nacional.

May 21, 2004: The first ocha was crowned in Calhoun, Georgia by Ajesola Aganyú and

Oba Ala Efun (Eduardo Cruz); Nelson “Pupi” Yemayá was the oriaté. The person

crowned was Milocha (real name) Oni Yemayá.100

December 31, 2004: The Yoruba Cultural Association met to determine the letter of the

year for 2005.

December 31, 2004: The Organizing Commission met to determine the letter of the year

for 2005.


2005

January 1, 2005: The Yoruba Cultural Association declares the odu Irosun Meji to be

the letter ruling 2005. The prophesy was: Ire arikú yale elese Orúnmila. They declared

Obatalá as ruler, accompanied by Oshún. The flag was white with a yellow triangle in

the center.

January 1, 2005: The Organizing Commission determined the letter of the year to be

Ofún Tempola (Ofún Otura), sometimes called “Ofún calls the corojo.” The prophecy

was: Ire aiku lowo Shango (Good health/long life at the hands of Shangó). Shangó ruled

the year 2005, accompanied by Oyá. The flag for the year was completely red. The ebó

was: Chicken for Eleguá, palm oil, cocoa butter, lard [that is, three kinds of oil]; the

spine of a fish with head and tail attached, worn clothes, salt, and the other ingredients

(the ebó goes to the bush).

July 16, 2005: The first tambor fundamiento in Georgia state was played by Tomas

Antonio Biggieri de Barcadi (Otá Omi) for the Obatalá of Eduardo Cruz (Oba Ala

Efun). Aña was played by Juan “el negro” and danced by “Kiki” Obatalá, both from

Florida. The akpon who sang was Anibal Tejada “Scorpion” (Obairawo). 101

December 31, 2005: The Yoruba Cultural Association met on this date to determine the

letter of the year for 2006.

December 31, 2005: The Organizing Commission met on December 31, 2005, to

determine the letter of the year for 2006.

2006

January 1, 2006: The sign announced as ruling 2006 was announced by Yoruba Cultural

Association to be Oyekun Obara. Prophecy was iré arikú lowo Orúnmila (Orúnmila

gives good health). The governing orisha was determined to be Ogún, and he was

accompanied by Oshún. The flag is a dark purple with a yellow border. The ebó that


was marked was: 1 rooster, 2 pigeons, a horse bit, water from the ocean, water from the

river, trap, arrow, raw corn, grass scrapings off the horse’s harness, rum, 1 candle, 2 dry

coconuts, palm oil, cocoa butter, honey, cascarilla, smoked fish and jutía.

January 1, 2006: The Organizing Commission determined the letter of the year to be

Ogundá Irete. The prophesy: Osogbo arun otorunwa (Diseases that appear at the

moment by unknown, unexpected causes) Orúnla onire. Obatalá ruled, accompanied by

Oshún. The flag was white with its borders in green. The ebó: 3 chickens, 3 nails, a

flowerpot, 7 coconuts, 7 kepis (hats), and other ingredients, all for Eshu. Rogate to

Orúnmila with 2 painted coconuts.

February 4, 2006: Nina Pérez, Igbín Koladé, died.

August 11, 2006: Alberto Romero Díaz, singer with los Muñequitos, died of cancer at

58 years of age.

historia do ifa emcuba

Documents