Mar 12 / Spring Recess - The Yoruba God of Drumming

 

 

Unit: Afro-  Cuban

Theme: The Yoruba God of Drumming

 

I

Introduction

 Today's class is about the introduction of Afro-Cuban bata drumming into the Afro-Brazilian liturgies.


 II

Learning Objectives

 

  • Understand the meaning of bata in the African rituals brought to the Cuba and Brazil
  •  Explain the importance of Eshu in the Yoruba pantheon
  • Gain an awareness of the connection between old and emerging ways to worship
  • Experience the chants and dances of Cuban Eshu and Brazilian Exu
  • Reflect on the work done in class


III

Main Lesson

 1

Read the Article



 The Yoruba God of Drumming

 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Yoruba_God_of_Drumming/YWYHCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Yoruba+dances+in+Cuba&pg=PA265&printsec=frontcover

Amanda Villepastour 

(Page 265 - 269 on European Kardecism)

Villepastour, Amanda (2016). The Yoruba God of Drumming


Question

Summarize the text from pages 265 - 269.

 

2

12/8 Clave Pattern

 

3

Similarities of the songs to Eshu in Cuba and Exu in Brazil

 

Chant to Eshu/Eleggua in Cuba

https://youtu.be/R498mmBpODc?si=XdTYZpq41y6EttHU
 

 Eshu / Exu

https://youtu.be/_QGX4mE5zpk?si=xgRR3g_r3fHOqfhc

(00:00 - 8:00) 

Exu / Candomble

https://youtu.be/ZSMrYRmKtek?si=aDtNF-KefSgOYE2b
 
4
 
 Exu in Brazil

 Eshu in Cuba

IV

A Note to Remember

When bata possesses someone, all the nerves in their head will rise, directed by their brain. It shows that orisha Ayan has entered their brain. The whole body will be stimulated by the sound of bata. (Page 54)

Trance language routinely involves improvised translation performance of an "interpreter" (Wirtz 2007)., while those working with written texts (in a range of orthographies) back-translate Lucumi into modern Yoruba and then into European languages. (Page 127)

 Speculations about the relationship between these drums in Brazil as vestiges of descendants of the tradition of the Yoruba bata and Ayan must remain just that - speculation - until a scholar, with the tools and abilities that I as a drummer do not possess, decides to tackle the issue 9page 265).


V

Case Study

 1

https://youtu.be/1maQCODm6yc?si=qM824BMXXdZuN6Sv

Arrival of my dear guest, Amanda Villepastour, an Australian Enthnomusicologist to my art centre.


VI

Activity

Translating Eshu's song from any possible source from creolized Yoruba to English or Spanish.


VII

Journaling

 

VIII

Glossary

 

IX

Sources

Rouget, Gilbert (1987). Music and Trance: A theory of the Relations Between Music and Possession. University of Chicago Press

 

X

Students' Work

 

 

 

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