Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
http://about.jstor.org/terms
Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The
Musical Quarterly
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
By HAROLD COURLANDER
These notes on Cuban musical instrzments were made on a
recording expedition-sponsored in 1941 by the American Council
such Africanisms are mainly identified with cult life. African cults
permeate the island. They are active within a few miles of Havana
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
228
Some of the very old ones talk of themselves as though they are
only secondarily Cubans. Habitudes of dress are affected by cult
beliefs, and it is possible in parts of Cuba to identify instantlyfor example-certain turbans and necklaces for feminine attire as
local police and military authorities, however, except during designated fiesta weeks, when cult life is "in the open". Cult members
are distant to and suspicious of inquiry into their affairs. They
have been libelled and persecuted for many years. How much
these factors have to do with keeping the groups intact and apart
from one another is not immediately evident.
The four main cults, or "nations", which exist in the western
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Plate I
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Plate II
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
of the sea; Oya, spirit of the cemetery; Orisha Oko, god of agr
the orisha.
drum, the Itotele, may or may not have a patch of ida on its la
head. The smallest drum is called Iko'nkolo or Amele'2 The sacre
name of the Lucuml drums is Ana, and the profane name lhu.
firmly by a cord passing around and under the knees, and the ri
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
and dances for the deity Chang6. The favored object is a hoe blade, called agogo or
agogor6, which is struck with a heavy nail
4 In Haiti the term baksor is sometimes used for the sacred rattle of the Vodoun
priest.
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
23I
Havana, maraca.
A large metal double-cone shaped rattle containing seeds for
sounders was observed in Jovellanos. Constructed of heavy tin,
with tiny perforations, and with a ring at one end through which
a thumb or finger is slipped for secure holding, it is usually held in
a generally horizontal position when shaken (Plate I, No. 4).
single rather than a double truncated cone (Plate I, No. 2). When
these giiiros supplant drums-which is frequent in localities where
called an or'i.
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
232
rituals one sees here the elements of theatre, in which most of those
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
metal handle. The edges where the two pieces are joined (fre-
quently by rivets, but sometimes by forging or soldering) are flattened, and a cross-section of the bell has a somewhat oval appearance. Different tones can be struck from this single bell by hitting
it in different spots. The striker is usually a hardwood stick. The
ekdn or ekong.
The morrwa, or chief singer, sometimes plays a pair of tubular-
with rafia, they are held down at the sides when shaken. The bot-
tom of the ericzinde is made from an end section of gourd, inverted so that the concave surface is outside. The internal strikers
are not seeds, but small cubes of hard wood. Sometimes religious
objects, such as a picture of Christ, are inserted into the rattles
along with the strikers. Contemporary ericiunde in Cuba seem to be
made exclusively of cloth-covered cardboard, as was one acquired
Another rattle, used by the mdrwa for the purpose of summoning the ireme, consists of a quadruple combination of small
gourds affixed to the four ends of two crossed sticks (Plate II,
7 Alberto Zayas.
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
No. 2). Inside the gourds are small seeds or stones. The hand
and gourds are stained red and further decorated with rafia. Dr
Curt Sachs suggests that the instrument should be called a "cro
rattle" or a "rattle cross".
services, and the singers-known as ocobios (brothers) or abane'kwe (followers)-sometimes clap hands for rhythm.
III. RARAR
homey cycle we find the Nago (Yoruba), the Mais, and the Ibo;
and among the deities are names which indicate provenience from
other regions of Africa.9 But the very existence of so many African
cults and societies during the recent past in Cuba obviated the
necessity for fusion of different groups. It is my feeling that the
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
the seams. The cowhide heads, as with the older drums, are h
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
236
directly to the body of the drums by the pegs, or they are mounted
on rope hoops and held to the pegs by cords.1l The pegs are important tuning mechanisms, since driving them down tightens the
skins. Persons outside the Arara cult often refer to Arara drums as
hun-hogulo, and huni. Collectively they are called hun. Techniques of playing are approximately the same as in Haiti. A malletshaped or hooked stick is used on the largest drum, and it is characteristically struck from time to time upon the body of the drum
above the pegs. Drummers are called huntor, a term that in Haiti
signifies "spirit of the drum".12
combination. See the photograph facing p. 173 of Zora Neale Hurston's "Tell My
Horse", New York, 1938.
12 As Herskovits points out, hun is a Dahomean word meaning "spirit". It is in-
teresting to note that many Cuban Arara words are formed on this root. In addition
to the terms mentioned above, the Arara language includes bunsi ("spirit wife", or
servitor of the deity), bungenicon (Arara priest's chief assistant), and humbono
(Arara priest). The Dahomey cult in Haiti retains many of these Iun words and
others not mentioned here.
13 Esteva Baro.
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
237
The singing leaders use small gourd rattles, called marugas, for beating time.
used also.
15 For a detailed list of tribes represented in Cuba see Ortiz, Los Negros Esclavos,
p. 24 ff.
16 Alberto Zayas.
17 The Djuka is also referred to as Yuka and Mula. Note that some Negroes in
Dutch Guiana are called Djuka.
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Varieties
numerous
Son,
the
of
in
secu
the
Danza,
There
seems
to
be
ments
for
most
o
up
of
two
Conga
against
the
side
o
piano.
The
Conga
made
of
staves
he
manently
to
the
b
The
quinto
is
a
b
form
a
slit
open
played
as
a
drum
w
the
sloping
sides,
gives
the
desired
t
types
of
West
Afr
with
sticks.
Mar
one
of
the
singer
played
by
holding
striking
it
sharply
almost
metallic
ch
with
a
nailed
cowh
Two
old
dances,
of
as
Rhumbas.
A
struments
for
th
played
with
the
18
The
Guanguanco,
t
all
more
or
less
similar
generally
considered
in
19
See
Presencia
Afric
"Ultra"
(Havana),
Decem
20
For
a
detailed
discu
nando
Ortiz,
La
Clave
X
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Plate III
Plate IV
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
so that they may be plucked with the fingers (Plate IV, No.
This instrument is known in Haiti as marimba, or malimba.
palms of both hands and played with the thumbs in the Africa
manner. The method of fastening the keys securely to the soun
ing box is almost identical to that observed on some African
struments of similar type (Plate IV, No. 4). One informant2' to
marimbulas where metal pieces are not available, but that they
not liked because they lack sonority. Reed keys are not unco
mon in West Africa. Metal keys for the Cuban instruments usua
consist of short strips of steel springs from clocks or phonogra
specially forged keys, as on the African m'bila, do not seem to
known.
(Plate IV, No. 2). The front surface is incised deeply with parall
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
240
are substituted.
the ogan type (called San Martins when used for secular purposes), trumpets of the usual variety, and palitos. Available photographs of Comparsas show tambourines and still other types of
drums.
puntos.
from Oriente Province affirm that these devices are known in that
This content downloaded from 128.226.37.5 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:19:55 UTC
All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms