History Question - about African slaves in US vs. Caribbean

[Light Seeker]

Lately I've been wondering about something, and I thought maybe somebody on here might know the answer (although the answer is probably very complicated, and wouldn't even fit into a scholarly essay or thesis).
Why is it that Africans in Cuba (for example) kept in touch with their roots, their cultures, their traditions, language, etc, while those in the U.S. have long since forgotten theirs? It is my understanding that most slave owners the world over wanted to suppress this knowledge/memory in the minds of the slaves, so my question is why were they so successful in the U.S. and not in other places, Cuba being one example of perhaps many?

Any information is welcome, as well as book/essay recommendations.

[zumbi]

yes, a question worth a million words.
in essence the difference should be found in the different attitudes of northern protestant europeans (british, germans etc.) versus southern catholic europeans (spanish, portugueses etc.) toward africans.
within the caribe those difference are even more striking.
separated by just just a few miles of sea, cuba and jamaica are worlds apart.
nowhere like in jamaica (british colony) the eradication of all african values and traditions has been so systematic while in nearby cuba africans were allowed, to a degree, to build drums, keep certain traditions, spiritual expressions etc.
this is not to say there's a form of slavery that is more humane.
the african slave trade is the biggest crime in the history of mankind, when it comes to the numbers involved and cruelty expressed.
but it makes a notable difference when your owner sees you as a captive to be put to work, yes, but still a human being with certain rights and aspirations (mixed marriage was never opposed so much in cuba, brasil or other countries under catholic rule) and when he sees you as less than a human being, like it was, by constitution (and still by fact) in the us.
peace & blessings

[Mike]

Books that shed some light on your question are:

John Storm Roberts, The Latin Tinge
Ned Sublette, Cuba and its music


The general answer to your question is that - for purely pragmatic reasons - the slave-owners decided to allow some of the Africans´music and religion because they realized that without practicing their religious rites, the labour force of slaves suffered as the they got depressed or even unwilling to carry on.
To quote from another book (by Sue Steward: Salsa - Musical heartbeat of Latin America), p. 20f.:
"[Thus in Cuba,] slaves were able to retain the languages of the sacred drums concealed in their religious ceremonies. (...) The deal which enabled the Africans to maintain their religious music depended on their being baptized as Christians. But they did not entirely renounce their old faiths - the remarkable similarity between the Catholic saints and the Yoruba pantheon of saints/gods allowed (...) Africans to pay homage to their own deities while also involved in the Catholic service."

I think this phenomenon is called syncretism.
So all in all the fact that Cuban slaves could preserve their music is due to the difference between the mostly Catholic slave owners of the Caribbean and the rather Protestant (WASP) slave-owners in the United States of America who kept the hard line in separating tribal groups and forbidding drums and other music. The development of spirituals and gospels originates here.

I hope I did not make too many mistakes - there are people on this forum who have got greater expertise by far than me....
EDIT: Ooops, talking of which , Zumbi was faster than me

Mike



Edited By Mike on 1205597997

[Light Seeker]

Thank you both for your replies! In addition to cultural aspects, why is it that those Africans in the Caribbean even know from what tribe they have descended (Yoruba, Bantu, etc), while in the U.S. even that was lost? I read about how there is a project involving DNA testing to try and help people of African descent in the U.S. discover where and from what tribe in Africa they came from. I think I understand about music or language, but why would slave owners not want the slaves to know where they came from?

Now that I think about it, is it accurate to say that every Afro-Cuban (or Afro-Boricua) person knows from what tribe he/she came, or am I mistaken about that?

[No.2-1820]

I think you can overstate the situation though, in Jamaica in particular reggae, dancehall and their forerunner Nyahbhingi are very Afro-Centric. I don't see where Jamaicans lost touch with their African heritage more than Cubans. Perhaps it's just me romanticizing but I also feel many similar elements in Hip Hop culture in the states, much of it more subliminal even subversive. I wonder if poverty has a tendency to preserve traditions more complete, there was probably a time when even Europeans were aware of their tribal pasts, Britain was a network of clearly defined Celtic tribes before the Romans came and set out to eradicate those distinctions.

Barrie



Edited By No.2-1820 on 1205605072

[zumbi]

dear barrie,
jamaica was -and is- demographically very different from cuba: in jamaica the vast majority of the population (more than 90%) has always been, and still is, of african descent.
and yet, there's little traces of african languages spoken. there are very few,marginal and only partly african religious traditions (kumina being the main one) and no much in the way of building drums and other instruments.
one notable exception being the maroons community of free ex-slaves that managed to break their chains very early and took to the mountains were, never conquered by the british, they kept several africans traditions alive, (especially in the fields of herbal medicine).
the fact that no open expression of african spirituality, culture and aesthetics were allowed did not meant that people would not cherish them in their hearts.
so, when finally conquered the chance, those long-repressed visions were expressed in music, also under the push of a new found form of spirituality that had no roots in africa, but was definitely inspired from africa.
rastafari was born a fully jamaican cult, inspired by (jamaican) activist marcus garvey's interpretation of the bible and socio-political doctrines.
african-jamaicans had to re-create their musical forms from scratches but could still listen to their african heart beating.
so the nyahbinghi one-two pattern, the "clave" of reggae music was born.
and it's nearness to the heart beat allowed reggae music to conquer the world, including millions of people who could not even know what the songs were/are talking about...
because, as bob marley said: "in every man's chest, there beats a heart".
peace & blessings



Edited By zumbi on 1205623564

[hueroconguero]

To go back to one of the original statements/questions in this thread:

Why is it that Africans in Cuba (for example) kept in touch with their roots, their cultures, their traditions, language, etc, while those in the U.S. have long since forgotten theirs?


These aren’t my viewpoints (although I agree in theory). These comments are paraphrased from a great documentary I have that was on BRAVO a few years ago titled: When Mambo Was King. Bobby Sanabria was one of the host, and along with him, many great historians and musicians weighed-in on this subject.

The slaves brought into the Carribean were basically allowed to keep their names, their religions, and their music. While the “control freaks” in America took away all the identity of the African slaves. (I’m not trying to get political, I promise) So after slavery, new music was being developed by the African Americans in places like New Orleans, St Louis and Chicago that was the blues, and then Jazz. So the music, creativity and innovation in music came from African Americans at that time, it just wasn’t revolved around the drum/percussion rhythyms.

So, going back to the original thread, I don’t think African Americans in the U.S. have “forgotten” their roots, they were taken from them.


I would be happy to go back to the documentary and transcribe exactly what was said, and by whom, if it’s really important to someone here, I just thought I’d share the gist of their opinions

Respectfully, Huero

[davidpenalosa]

in Jamaica in particular reggae, dancehall and their forerunner Nyahbhingi are very Afro-Centric. I don't see where Jamaicans lost touch with their African heritage more than Cubans.

If you compare nyahbhingi drumming with any Afro-Cuban drumming: bata, bembe, iyesa, palo, rumba, etc, you will definitely hear a significant difference. The term "roots" is aften associated with reggae music. Ironically though, in terms of rhythm, reggae is an Afro-Caribbean genre that's one of the most removed from African roots. Its poly-rhythmic structure is very simple compared to Afro-Cuban and other Caribbean musics. Cross-rhythm, let alone timeline patterns such as clave, are non-existent in reggae and nyahbhingi.

Structurally speaking, reggae and its predecessor ska, have more in common with early rock & roll, than African-based drumming. Of course, rock & roll comes out R&B, and the blues, which has its roots in the Protestant African-American experience. All of these musics have facinating blends of African and European musical sensibilities that were shaped by local conditions during the time of slavery and its aftermath.

If you read about the history of Rastafarianism, you will see that it was founded precisely because some Jamaicans felt disconnected from their African roots and wanted to reconnect. Unlike the Cubans, they did not have their Yoruban liturgical texts or other African religious traditions to re-connect with. Like their African-American counterparts, they looked to biblical scripture. However, the Rastafarians defintely came up with their own unique interperetation of the bible.

I'm just speaking in an ethnomusicological sense here. I'm not making an argument that one musical genre is superior to another.

The Cubans maintained African ethnic identities through the mutual aid societies called cabildos. There were Yoruba, Fon (Arara), Efik (Abakua) and Congo cabildos where religion, dance, music and even language survived. If you want to learn more, I recommend:

"Changing History; Afro-Cuban Cabildos and Societies of Color in the Nineteenth Century" by Philip A. Howard.

-David

[Light Seeker]

jamaica was -and is- demographically very different from cuba: in jamaica the vast majority of the population (more than 90%) has always been, and still is, of african descent.
and yet, there's little traces of african languages spoken. there are very few,marginal and only partly african religious traditions (kumina being the main one) and no much in the way of building drums and other instruments.

I found this article on Wikipedia about Kumina:

"Kumina is a cultural form indigenous to Jamaica. It is a religion, music and dance practiced by in large part Jamaicans who reside in the eastern parish on St. Thomas on the island. These people have retained the drumming and dancing of the Bantu-speaking peoples of the Congo. Like the Kongo practitioners from Cuba, they have kept a large amount of the Kongo language alive. In the Americas there are many Kongo-derived religions still being practiced today.

There are two main aspects of Kongo religion that are quite distinctive. One is the practice of bringing down spirits of the dead to briefly inhabit the bodies of the faithful. The purpose of this is so that the ancestors may share their wisdom, providing spiritual assistance and advice to those here on Earth. Without exception, all such faiths in the Americas retain this central feature of Kongo faith. The other feature is the extensive work with Inquices (Enkises, Nkisi). The Inquices are very like the Orishas of Yoruba tradition, but also different. In Cuba and Brazil, where Yoruba influence was strongest in the Americas, they are often syncretized with the Orishas. They may best be described as being both the most ancient of ancestors as well as being associated with specific powers in nature. The Inquices do not tend to possess as detailed a mythology as the Yoruba gods."



Edited By Light Seeker on 1205686513

[Congadelica]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elwz5MGSXfs

And

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tsZBob--78&feature=related





Edited By Congadelica on 1205693404

[Chupacabra]

Another fragment of the big picture is this concept:
I am of Scottish, Swiss and French-Canadian ethnic heritage but believe me, I have absolutely no desire in taking up the bagpipes and feasting on haggis! (Yetch!). Nor do I plan on becoming xenophobic and interested in banking, and I've only gone downhill skiing twice in my life. Even though I was born in Quebec, I still could not be considered bilingual by any stretch. And my European grandparents emigrated of their own free will in the early 1900s.
Do you see what I'm getting at?
I believe the level of connection to the ancestral ways lies in the connection of spirituality and environment in all people. Not just from generic "African", but also from Yoruba, Masai, Zulu, Mohawk, Aztec, Wonnarua, Timucua or Arieto, or any of the other thousands of cultural identities throughout the past and present. Every single person on this planet has their ancestral roots somewhere, and it's not just where your grandparents came from!



Edited By Chupacabra on 1205718845

[Chupacabra]

Also, I would like to add that in the context of music and rhythm in the modern Western world you and I live in, we practise and learn for fun, musical skill, interest, appreciation, etc. In the historical sense most, if not all of the Afrocuban/Carribean traditions evolved from traditional rhythms that were played on rudimentary instruments or clapping of hands, singing, chanting or stomping of feet for ceremonial and ritual purposes for a very, very long time. Magic and spirituality were the sole purpose for the creation many of the rhythms, and they were also used by the living to connect with long dead ancestors, to purify, communicate with distant tribes. As the white man's magic (firearms, medicines, Christianity, wireless communication) took over and messed up the way of life that they had known for ages, the indigenous ways had no other option but to evolve or become extinct. This is most noticeable in Cuban Santeria and Haitian Voudou where Catholic Saints and Yoruba deities have formed a hybrid. Brazilian Capoeira could also be mentioned here as well.
Here in USA/Canada it's not quite as noticeable but for me when I hear a gospel choir sing, or hearing some of the more listenable rap/hip-hop performers and seeing some of the African-American artists, I believe that the spirit is still there in so many ways.

[davidpenalosa]

"Kumina is a cultural form indigenous to Jamaica. It is a religion, music and dance practiced by in large part Jamaicans who reside in the eastern parish on St. Thomas on the island. [b]These people have retained the drumming and dancing of the Bantu-speaking peoples of the Congo. Like the Kongo practitioners from Cuba, tThey may best be described as being both the most ancient of ancestors as well as being associated with specific powers in nature. The Inquices do not tend to possess as detailed a mythology as the Yoruba gods."

Thanks for posting that Light Seeker. Congadelica, the clips were great; they are worth a thousnd words. I can see the Congolese connection.

[Joseph]

Another good book, recently published, which relates to this subject is
The World That Made New Orleans also by Ned Sublette

In his inimitable and very readable style he pieces together the threads connecting enslaved Africans in New Orleans, Cuba, Haiti in the context of the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions, the Louisiana Purchase, and the business of American slavery.
He has some shocking facts on the practices of American slavery (for the most part almost totally redacted from consensus histories of the period), as well as view of Thomas Jefferson that is far different from the glorified “Founding Father” he is popularly known to be.
He covers Congo Square in New Orleans where for almost 60 years the enslaved Africans beat drums, played music, danced and "rocked the city" on Sunday afternoons
He chronicles the unique development of music and culture in the gumbo that is New Orleans.

From the book

This book is about how New Orleans got to 1819. It’s not about music per se, but music will be a constant presence in it, the way it is in New Orleans

[HotSauce78]

Joseph, you hit the nail on the head. I am a new orleans native, currently living in san antonio due to the storm. The french slave masters were lenient with the slaves and let them perform their african dance, music, and rituals in congo square. Conga square is still there and its located in Louis Armstrong park, which is towards the northern border of the french quarter. Congo square was the only place in the US where africans could place their traditional music. Slave could buy and sell land, sue or be sued, the french could even marry a slave. A lot of african tradition still exist in the cuisine of new orleans. Individuals like Marie Laveau was allowed to practice her Voudou rituals behind the St. Louis Cathedral, which is at the heart of the french quarter. I am a decendent of Marie Laveau, and her history was past down. New Orleans is a mixture of french, african, spanish, native american, german, and italian cultures.