DOCSLIB.ORG

Florida State University Libraries

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Florida State University Libraries Florida State University Libraries 2016 To and Through the Doors of Ocha: Music, Spiritual Transformation, and Reversion Among African American Lucumí Lisa Michelle Beckley-Roberts Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC TO AND THROUGH THE DOORS OF OCHA: MUSIC, SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION, AND REVERSION AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN LUCUMÍ By LISA M. BECKLEY-ROBERTS A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 ©2016 Lisa M. Beckley-Roberts Lisa M. Beckley-Roberts defended this dissertation on February 4, 2016. The members of the supervisory committee were: Frank Gunderson Professor Directing Dissertation Maxine Jones University Representative Michael B. Bakan Committee Member Denise Von Glahn Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii This dissertation is dedicated to Christian Samone Beckley Lampley, David Akua Kefentse Amari Beckley Roberts, and those to come. It serves as a testament that you are infinitely loved, covered in prayers, and that you can do anything because you stand on the shoulders of mighty ancestors! Maferefun Egun! Maferefun Ocha! iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It would be impossible for me to acknowledge all of the people who have contributed to the completion of this work. I have been enthusiastically supported, encouraged, and gently nudged by family, friends, colleagues, professors, students, mentors, and informants. Each of whom has in some way impacted the way that I thought about and completed this work. Among the many that I must thank, I would like to begin with my spiritual family who were the principal informants and about whom I wrote. I offer my heartfelt thanks to my godparents, Baba William “Bill” Olaitan Lowman, Iya Helen Salaako Phillips (ibaye), Iya Huberta Jackson-Lowman, and Baba Ron “Facundo” Harris for crowning me, nurturing me, and serving as my guides to and through the doors of Ocha. To the members of Ile Asho Funfun, I can not thank you enough for your support, prayers, and willingness to share your stories! In particular, I would like to thank Iya Penelope Stubbs, Baba Ifakunle, Baba Moses, Baba Akinlana Lowman, Jessica Noel, and Giltrecia Head. I also extend my gratitude to the members of the Afrikan-centered and Orisha communities of Tallahassee, Atlanta, and New York! Nzinga Metzger, most especially opened her home and many rituals to me and introduced me to countless priests, musicians, and practitioners who all became invaluable to me doing this research. To that end, I am grateful for the contributions of Iya Olufemi and Baba Chuckie Joseph. My sincerest thanks to my friends and sisters Erica “Motunrayo” Hubbard and Mellenee Miller for being encouraging my spiritual growth from the beginning of our relationships. Likewise, there are not enough thank-yous to share with Iya Faith “Sangoyemi” Troupe and Iya Funlay E. Wood for loving, supporting, and challenging me to write and be better. iv I also extend my gratitude to colleagues and mentors around the world! My dissertation committee has been supportive, firm, and patient with me and for that I offer my gratitude. Dr. Frank Gunderson, in particular, has encouraged me and inspired me with words and deeds. Similarly, I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Michael B. Bakan, Dr. Denise Von Glahn, and Dr. Maxine Jones who have contributed to my academic and personal growth since we first met through their scholarship and interest in me and my work. To Dr. Felix Omidire and Dr. Abiodun Agboola in Nigeria I say e e gaanani for your support, love, and adoption of me! I would also like to thank my superstar editors, Dr. Sara Black-Brown and Iya Funlayo E. Wood, for your hard work, love, and energy on this work. There could never be a better set of colleagues than what I had at Tallahassee Community College and with the TCC African Drum and Dance Ensemble! I could not have finished this work without the support of Dr. Marge Banocy-Payne, Dr. Fred Owens, Mr. Gregory Williams, Mrs. Jennifer Bradley, Professors Ursula Morgan and Kermit Harrison, and my ADDE executive board and members Edward Dorman, Shawn Lawrence, and Oscar Camara! I have a new set of supporters at Jackson State University with Dr. Mario Azevedo and Dr. David Akombo to whom I owe much thanks. Finally, there is no way that I can say how much this dissertation is equally the accomplishment of my family! To my loving and supportive husband in heaven I say, “Look Babe! We did it!” I appreciate all of the time you gave me to work on this by entertaining the boy, and for all of the feedback, suggestions, and criticism given to get this thing done! My parents have supported me financially and emotionally through this work and never once doubted I would get it done when I wanted to quit. For constantly inspiring me I must say thank you to them, Dr. David and Dr. Gemma Beckley. I thank my sister, Jacqueline Beckley Abdullah who has listened to me complain for hours on end and was kind enough to support me v and allow me to be second-string parent to my niece Christian Lampley (my first baby)! To my children Christian Lampley and David Amari Beckley Roberts, I offer the most thanks. I appreciate all of the time that you gave up with me to write, the smiles and hugs, and the never- ending cheers, support, and inspiration. You are both examples of joy, miracles, and love that I aspire to one day emulate. Maferefun Olodumare! Maferefun Egun! Maferefun Ocha! Ifa agbe wa o! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... xi ORTHOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 Background ............................................................................................................................... 10 Purpose and Significance .......................................................................................................... 23 Review of Literature.................................................................................................................. 24 Methodology and Theoretical Approach ................................................................................... 37 Content Overview ..................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 1: EXPANSION, MEMORY, AND SANKOFA: THE RETURN TO ORISHA TRADITION IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ................................................ 47 Nigerian Memories .................................................................................................................... 47 Chant versus Music from an American Perspective ................................................................. 50 Afrocentricity Experienced ....................................................................................................... 51 The Theoretical Path to Expansion in the Americas ................................................................. 52 Reversion at Last!: Orisha Tradition in America ...................................................................... 65 Reversion, Sankofa, and Lucumí Verses Yoruba .......................................................................70 CHAPTER 2: SACRED IBEJI: FAMILIAL ROLES, LINEAGE, AND KINSHIP IN ILE ASHO FUNFUN....................................................................................................................................... 73 Ile Asho Funfun ......................................................................................................................... 76 Expansion in Ile Asho Funfun ................................................................................................... 84 CHAPTER 3: ELDERS CAN SEE SITTING DOWN, WHAT CHILDREN CAN’T SEE STANDING: WAYS OF GAINING KNOWLEDGE IN THE TRADITION ............................. 91 Levels of Iniation ........................................................................................................................97 Specific Modes of Teaching .....................................................................................................109 Important Lessons at any Stage of Reversion .......................................................................... 122 CHAPTER 4: HOLY GROUND: THE CREATION OF SACRED SPACE AND THE ROAD TO HEALING AND EMPOWERMENT .................................................................................. 124 vii Healing and Empowerment ..................................................................................................... 131 Holy Ground ............................................................................................................................ 134 CHAPTER 5: OCHA TO ITUTU: THE QUESTION OF FAITH AND EXPLORATIONS OF CONTINUED TRANSFORMATION AFTER REVERSION .................................................. 148 New Reversion Practitioners
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Introduction: Introducing Yemoja
    1 2 3 4 5 Introduction 6 7 8 Introducing Yemoja 9 10 11 12 Solimar Otero and Toyin Falola 13 14 15 16 17 18 Mother I need 19 mother I need 20 mother I need your blackness now 21 as the august earth needs rain. 22 —Audre Lorde, “From the House of Yemanjá”1 23 24 “Yemayá es Reina Universal porque es el Agua, la salada y la dul- 25 ce, la Mar, la Madre de todo lo creado / Yemayá is the Universal 26 Queen because she is Water, salty and sweet, the Sea, the Mother 27 of all creation.” 28 —Oba Olo Ocha as quoted in Lydia Cabrera’s Yemayá y Ochún.2 29 30 31 In the above quotes, poet Audre Lorde and folklorist Lydia Cabrera 32 write about Yemoja as an eternal mother whose womb, like water, makes 33 life possible. They also relate in their works the shifting and fluid nature 34 of Yemoja and the divinity in her manifestations and in the lives of her 35 devotees. This book, Yemoja: Gender, Sexuality, and Creativity in the 36 Latina/o and Afro-Atlantic Diasporas, takes these words of supplica- 37 tion and praise as an entry point into an in-depth conversation about 38 the international Yoruba water deity Yemoja. Our work brings together 39 the voices of scholars, practitioners, and artists involved with the inter- 40 sectional religious and cultural practices involving Yemoja from Africa, 41 the Caribbean, North America, and South America. Our exploration 42 of Yemoja is unique because we consciously bridge theory, art, and 43 xvii SP_OTE_INT_xvii-xxxii.indd 17 7/9/13 5:13 PM xviii Solimar Otero and Toyin Falola 1 practice to discuss orisa worship3 within communities of color living in 2 postcolonial contexts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Exodus and Identity Formation in View of the Yoruba Origin and Migration Narratives1
    http://scriptura.journals.ac.za Scriptura 108 (2011), pp. 342-356 THE EXODUS AND IDENTITY FORMATION IN VIEW OF THE YORUBA ORIGIN AND MIGRATION NARRATIVES1 Funlola Olojede Old and New Testament Stellenbosch University The past is but the beginning of a beginning (HG Wells) Abstract Certain elements of the origin and migration narratives of the Yoruba such as a common ancestor, common ancestral home, common belief in the Supreme Deity provide a basis for identity formation and recognition among the people. It is argued that the narratives help to bring to light the memories of the Exodus and Israel’s recollection of Yahweh as the root of its identity. The juxtaposition of cosmogonic myths and migration theories foregrounds the elements of identity formation of the Yoruba people and have a parallel in the blending of both cosmic and migration elements in Exodus 14-15:18. This blending also points out clearly the role of Yahweh as the main character in the Sea event. Key Words: Exodus, Identity, Migration, Yahweh, Yorùbá Introduction The hypothesis is that Yorùbá traditions of origin and migration influence the process of identity formation in certain ways and that this implication for identity may contain certain heuristic values that can be used to interpret the exodus in a contextual way. In what follows, a literature review of basic cosmogonic myths and migration theories of the Yorùbá is carried out to determine their impact on the people’s identity formation. This is followed by a brief literary consideration of the Sea event (Exod 14-15) which is a two-way prosaic and poetic rendition of the sea crossing by the children of Israel after their departure from Egypt.
    [Show full text]
  • P E E L C H R Is T Ian It Y , Is L a M , an D O R Isa R E Lig Io N
    PEEL | CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM, AND ORISA RELIGION Luminos is the open access monograph publishing program from UC Press. Luminos provides a framework for preserving and rein- vigorating monograph publishing for the future and increases the reach and visibility of important scholarly work. Titles published in the UC Press Luminos model are published with the same high standards for selection, peer review, production, and marketing as those in our traditional program. www.luminosoa.org Christianity, Islam, and Orisa Religion THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF CHRISTIANITY Edited by Joel Robbins 1. Christian Moderns: Freedom and Fetish in the Mission Encounter, by Webb Keane 2. A Problem of Presence: Beyond Scripture in an African Church, by Matthew Engelke 3. Reason to Believe: Cultural Agency in Latin American Evangelicalism, by David Smilde 4. Chanting Down the New Jerusalem: Calypso, Christianity, and Capitalism in the Caribbean, by Francio Guadeloupe 5. In God’s Image: The Metaculture of Fijian Christianity, by Matt Tomlinson 6. Converting Words: Maya in the Age of the Cross, by William F. Hanks 7. City of God: Christian Citizenship in Postwar Guatemala, by Kevin O’Neill 8. Death in a Church of Life: Moral Passion during Botswana’s Time of AIDS, by Frederick Klaits 9. Eastern Christians in Anthropological Perspective, edited by Chris Hann and Hermann Goltz 10. Studying Global Pentecostalism: Theories and Methods, by Allan Anderson, Michael Bergunder, Andre Droogers, and Cornelis van der Laan 11. Holy Hustlers, Schism, and Prophecy: Apostolic Reformation in Botswana, by Richard Werbner 12. Moral Ambition: Mobilization and Social Outreach in Evangelical Megachurches, by Omri Elisha 13. Spirits of Protestantism: Medicine, Healing, and Liberal Christianity, by Pamela E.
    [Show full text]
  • I the Sacred Act of Reading: Spirituality, Performance, And
    The Sacred Act of Reading: Spirituality, Performance, and Power in Afro-Diasporic Literature By Anne Margaret Castro Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in English August, 2016 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Vera Kutzinski, Ph.D. Ifeoma Nwankwo, Ph.D. Hortense Spillers, Ph.D. Marzia Milazzo, Ph.D. Victor Anderson, Ph.D. i Copyright © 2016 by Anne Margaret Castro All Rights Reserved To Annette, who taught me the steps. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply grateful for the generous mentoring I have received throughout my graduate career from my committee chairs, Vera Kutzinski and Ifeoma Nwankwo. Your support and attention to this project’s development has meant the world to me. My scholarship has been enriched by the support and insight of my committee members: Hortense Spillers, Marzia Milazzo, and Victor Anderson. I would also like to express my thanks to Kathryn Schwarz and Katie Crawford, who always treated my work as valuable. This dissertation is a testament to the encouragement and feedback I received from my colleagues in the Vanderbilt English department. Thanks to Vera Kutzinski’s generosity of time and energy, I have had the pleasure of growing through sustained scholarly engagement with Tatiana McInnis, Lucy Mensah, RJ Boutelle, Marzia Milazzo and Aubrey Porterfield. I am thankful to Ifeoma Nwankwo’s work with the Drake Fellowship, which gave me the opportunity to conduct oral history interviews with Dr. Erna Brodber and Petal Samuel, in Woodside, Jamaica. My experiences in Jamaica deeply affected the way I approach my scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • A Musical Analysis of Afro-Cuban Batá Drumming
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2019 Meaning Beyond Words: A Musical Analysis of Afro-Cuban Batá Drumming Javier Diaz The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2966 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] MEANING BEYOND WORDS: A MUSICAL ANALYSIS OF AFRO-CUBAN BATÁ DRUMMING by JAVIER DIAZ A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, The City University of New York 2019 2018 JAVIER DIAZ All rights reserved ii Meaning Beyond Words: A Musical Analysis of Afro-Cuban Batá Drumming by Javier Diaz This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor in Musical Arts. ——————————— —————————————————— Date Benjamin Lapidus Chair of Examining Committee ——————————— —————————————————— Date Norman Carey Executive Officer Supervisory Committee Peter Manuel, Advisor Janette Tilley, First Reader David Font-Navarrete, Reader THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii ABSTRACT Meaning Beyond Words: A Musical Analysis of Afro-Cuban Batá Drumming by Javier Diaz Advisor: Peter Manuel This dissertation consists of a musical analysis of Afro-Cuban batá drumming. Current scholarship focuses on ethnographic research, descriptive analysis, transcriptions, and studies on the language encoding capabilities of batá.
    [Show full text]
  • Santería in a Globalized World: a Study in Afro-Cuban Folkloric Music" (2018)
    Lawrence University Lux Lawrence University Honors Projects 5-30-2018 Santería in a Globalized World: A Study in Afro- Cuban Folkloric Music Nathan Montgomery Lawrence University Follow this and additional works at: https://lux.lawrence.edu/luhp Part of the African History Commons, Caribbean Languages and Societies Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, Latin American History Commons, Music Education Commons, Music Practice Commons, Oral History Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons © Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Recommended Citation Montgomery, Nathan, "Santería in a Globalized World: A Study in Afro-Cuban Folkloric Music" (2018). Lawrence University Honors Projects. 123. https://lux.lawrence.edu/luhp/123 This Honors Project is brought to you for free and open access by Lux. It has been accepted for inclusion in Lawrence University Honors Projects by an authorized administrator of Lux. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Nathan Montgomery 4/30/18 IHRTLUHC SANTERÍA IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD: A STUDY OF AFRO-CUBAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC ABSTRACT The Yoruban people of modern-day Nigeria worship many deities called orichas by means of singing, drumming, and dancing. Their aurally preserved artistic traditions are intrinsically connected to both religious ceremony and eVeryday life. These forms of worship traVeled to the Americas during the colonial era through the brutal transatlantic slaVe trade and continued to eVolVe beneath racist societal hierarchies implemented by western European nations. Despite severe oppression, Yoruban slaves in Cuba were able to disguise orichas behind Catholic saints so that they could still actiVely worship in public. This initial guise led to a synthesis of religious practice, language, and artistry that is known today as Santería.
    [Show full text]
  • AXÉ, ORIXÁ, XIRÊ E MÚSICA: Estudo De Música E Performance No Candomblé Queto Na Baixada Santista
    Jorge Luiz Ribeiro de Vasconcelos AXÉ, ORIXÁ, XIRÊ E MÚSICA: Estudo de música e performance no candomblé queto na Baixada Santista Tese apresentada ao Instituto de Artes, da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, para obtenção do Título de Doutor em Música. Orientador: Prof. Dr. José Roberto Zan . Campinas, 2010 FICHA CATALOGRÁFICA ELABORADA PELA BIBLIOTECA DO INSTITUTO DE ARTES DA UNICAMP Vasconcelos, Jorge Luiz Ribeiro de. V441a Axé, orixá, xirê e música: estudo de música e performance no candomblé queto na Baixada Santista. / Jorge Luiz Ribeiro de Vasconcelos. – Campinas, SP: [s.n.], 2010. Orientador: Prof. Dr. José Roberto Zan. Tese(doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes. 1. Candomblé. 2. Música afro-brasileira. 3. Religiões afro- brasileiras. 4. Música e religião. 5. Etnomusicologia. I. Zan, José Roberto. II. Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Artes. III. Título. (em/ia) Título em inglês: “Axé, orixá, xirê and music: a study of music and performance in Candomblé Queto.” Palavras-chave em inglês (Keywords): Candomblé ; afro-brazilian music ; afro-brazilian religions ; music and religion ; ethnomusicology. Titulação: Doutor em Música. Banca examinadora: Prof. Dr. José Roberto Zan. Prof. Dr. Ângelo Nonato Natale Cardoso. Prof. Dr. Vagner Gonçalves da Silva. Prof. Dr. Fernando Augusto de Almeida Hashimoto. Prof. Dr. Antônio Rafael Carvalho dos Santos. Prof. Dr. Alberto Tsuyoshi Ikeda. Prof. Dr. Eduardo Vicente. Prof. Dr. Claudiney Rodrigues Carrasco. Data da Defesa: 30-03-2010 Programa de Pós-Graduação: Música. iv v Aos pais e mães, Julião Vasconcelos (em memória) e Helena Ribeiro de Vasconcelos; Marcos D'Ogun e Sandra D'Eloyá. vii AGRADECIMENTOS Agradeço: Primeiramente ao meu orientador Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Yoruba Art & Culture
    Yoruba Art & Culture Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology University of California, Berkeley Yoruba Art and Culture PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Written and Designed by Nicole Mullen Editors Liberty Marie Winn Ira Jacknis Special thanks to Tokunbo Adeniji Aare, Oduduwa Heritage Organization. COPYRIGHT © 2004 PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY ◆ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY BERKELEY, CA 94720-3712 ◆ 510-642-3682 ◆ HTTP://HEARSTMUSEUM.BERKELEY.EDU Table of Contents Vocabulary....................4 Western Spellings and Pronunciation of Yoruba Words....................5 Africa....................6 Nigeria....................7 Political Structure and Economy....................8 The Yoruba....................9, 10 Yoruba Kingdoms....................11 The Story of How the Yoruba Kingdoms Were Created....................12 The Colonization and Independence of Nigeria....................13 Food, Agriculture and Trade....................14 Sculpture....................15 Pottery....................16 Leather and Beadwork....................17 Blacksmiths and Calabash Carvers....................18 Woodcarving....................19 Textiles....................20 Religious Beliefs....................21, 23 Creation Myth....................22 Ifa Divination....................24, 25 Music and Dance....................26 Gelede Festivals and Egugun Ceremonies....................27 Yoruba Diaspora....................28
    [Show full text]
  • Agenda Women's Equality: An
    WOMEN’S EQUALITY: AN AGENDA Women’s Organizations Assess U.S. Government Actions on Implementing the Beijing Platform, 1995–2000 WOME N ’S EQ U ALITY: AN Unfinis h ed Wom e n ’s Organ i z ati o n s Assess U.S . Go ver n m e n t AGE N DA Ac tions on Implementi n g the Beijing Platfo r m , 19 9 5Ð20 0 0 Published by Wom e n ’s Envi ro n m e n t and Devel o p m e n t Or ga n i z ation In coll ab o r ation with: AIDS Legal Referral Panel Center for Policy Alterna t i v e s Center for American Women and Politics Center for Women Policy Studies Communications Consortium Media Center Equality Now Family Violence Prevention Fund Girls Incorporated Institute for Women’s Policy Research In t e r national Women’s Media Foundation Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law National Black Women’s Health Project National Congress of Neighborhood Wom e n National Council for Research on Women National Partnership for Women and Families Women’s Edge Women’s International League for Peace and Free d o m WOMEN’S ENVIRO N M E NT & D E V E LO PM E NT O RG A NI Z ATION (WE D O) 355 Lexington Avenue, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10017-6603, U.S.A Tel: 212-973-0325; Fax: 212-973-0335 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.wedo.org Gopher: gopher.igc.apc.org The Women’s Environment and Development Organization is an international advocacy network that strives for a healthy and peaceful planet, with social, political, economic and environmental justice for all through the empowerment of women in all their diversity participating equally with men in decision-making from grassroots to global arenas.
    [Show full text]
  • Reglas De Congo: Palo Monte Mayombe) a Book by Lydia Cabrera an English Translation from the Spanish
    THE KONGO RULE: THE PALO MONTE MAYOMBE WISDOM SOCIETY (REGLAS DE CONGO: PALO MONTE MAYOMBE) A BOOK BY LYDIA CABRERA AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION FROM THE SPANISH Donato Fhunsu A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of English and Comparative Literature (Comparative Literature). Chapel Hill 2016 Approved by: Inger S. B. Brodey Todd Ramón Ochoa Marsha S. Collins Tanya L. Shields Madeline G. Levine © 2016 Donato Fhunsu ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Donato Fhunsu: The Kongo Rule: The Palo Monte Mayombe Wisdom Society (Reglas de Congo: Palo Monte Mayombe) A Book by Lydia Cabrera An English Translation from the Spanish (Under the direction of Inger S. B. Brodey and Todd Ramón Ochoa) This dissertation is a critical analysis and annotated translation, from Spanish into English, of the book Reglas de Congo: Palo Monte Mayombe, by the Cuban anthropologist, artist, and writer Lydia Cabrera (1899-1991). Cabrera’s text is a hybrid ethnographic book of religion, slave narratives (oral history), and folklore (songs, poetry) that she devoted to a group of Afro-Cubans known as “los Congos de Cuba,” descendants of the Africans who were brought to the Caribbean island of Cuba during the trans-Atlantic Ocean African slave trade from the former Kongo Kingdom, which occupied the present-day southwestern part of Congo-Kinshasa, Congo-Brazzaville, Cabinda, and northern Angola. The Kongo Kingdom had formal contact with Christianity through the Kingdom of Portugal as early as the 1490s.
    [Show full text]
  • 2015 Review from the Director
    2015 REVIEW From the Director I am often asked, “Where is the Center going?” Looking of our Smithsonian Capital Campaign goal of $4 million, forward to 2016, I am happy to share in the following and we plan to build on our cultural sustainability and pages several accomplishments from the past year that fundraising efforts in 2016. illustrate where we’re headed next. This year we invested in strengthening our research and At the top of my list of priorities for 2016 is strengthening outreach by publishing an astonishing 56 pieces, growing our two signatures programs, the Smithsonian Folklife our reputation for serious scholarship and expanding Festival and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. For the our audience. We plan to expand on this work by hiring Festival, we are transitioning to a new funding model a curator with expertise in digital and emerging media and reorganizing to ensure the event enters its fiftieth and Latino culture in 2016. We also improved care for our anniversary year on a solid foundation. We embarked on collections by hiring two new staff archivists and stabilizing a search for a new director and curator of Smithsonian access to funds for our Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Folkways as Daniel Sheehy prepares for retirement, Collections. We are investing in deeper public engagement and we look forward to welcoming a new leader to the by embarking on a strategic communications planning Smithsonian’s nonprofit record label this year. While 2015 project, staffing communications work, and expanding our was a year of transition for both programs, I am confident digital offerings.
    [Show full text]
  • Dancing Postcolonialism
    Sabine Sörgel Dancing Postcolonialism TanzScripte | edited by Gabriele Brandstetter and Gabriele Klein | Volume 6 Sabine Sörgel (Dr. phil.) teaches the history and theory of theatre and dance at Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz. Her current research includes cross- cultural corporealities, contemporary performance and postcolonial theory. Sabine Sörgel Dancing Postcolonialism The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica Die vorliegende Arbeit wurde vom Fachbereich 05 Philosophie und Philologie der Jo- hannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz im Jahr 2005 als Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie (Dr. phil.) angenommen. Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de © 2007 transcript Verlag, Bielefeld This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License. Layout by: Kordula Röckenhaus, Bielefeld Cover illustration: Rex Nettleford, NDTC’s »moving spirit«, co-founder, princi- pal choreographer, and current Artistic Director. Here seen in lead role of »Myal«. Credits: Photographs: cover illustration and pages 100, 102, 103, 110, 112, 119, 131, 175, 176, 177 courtesy and copyright by Maria LaYacona and NDTC ar- chives; page 140 courtesy and copyright by Denis Valentine and NDTC ar- chives; page 194 courtesy and coypright by W. Sills and NDTC archives. All video stills: courtesy
    [Show full text]