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Eleguá
Eleguá is the keeper of the crossroads, the messenger between the Orishas and Olofín, the trickster. He is often represented by a child and he is the first Orisha praised and honored in the pantheon, after the ancestors.
In Honor of the Ancestors
Raíces Folkloric Ensemble members Nicole Wines and Edward LaPorté performing a song and dance in honor of the ancestors.
Muertos
Muertos, directly translated to "the dead", or ancestors, play a large role in Cuban spiritual traditions. The ancestors are always honored before any ceremony or celebration for the Orishas begin.
For the Ancestors
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble plays "Aumbao Wa Ori", a song honoring and praising the ancestors and dances for the dead.
Dance for the Dead
A dance for the dead (or 'muertos'/ancestors). In the Cuban Orisha tradition, homage is paid to the ancestors before any ceremony or celebration begins.
Aumbao Wa Ori
Nicole Wines dances for the dead accompanied by the Raíces Folkloric Ensemble playing Aumbao Wa Ori.
Honoring the Ancestors
"Tale of Two Waters" is a multimedia and musical presentation tying together the tradition of the Orishas, or forces of nature with the protection of the environment and the earth's ecosystems. During the introductory song honoring the ancestors, a…
Batá
Raíces Folkloric Ensemble members playing the batá.
Raíces Folkloric Ensemble - Batá
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performing songs for the Orishas on the batá drums at the Reformed Church of Highland Park.
Raíces Ensemble Performance
The Raíces Folkloric Ensemble performing batá at the Reformed Church of Highland Park in 2017.
Orisha Art Show Cultural Display
Cultural and educational display at the Orisha Art Exhibit. The display includes the batá drums, and peripheral instruments used in Afro-Cuban music, an orisha Oyá doll, a handmade Eleguá, Orisha tiles and a an Orisha poster.
“Spirit of the Drum” Flyer
Postcard for the 2010 Raíces Ensemble production “Spirit of the Drum: History and Evolution of an Afrocaribbean Tradition”. This production was made possible in part by funding from a Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage MINI Grant, as well as a…
Kwanzaa Celebration
The Raíces Cultural Center Ensemble was asked to share the traditions and cultures of the Caribbean through music, dance and song as part of the 2010 NAACP Kwanzaa Celebration. Raíces Ensemble members are pictured here playing batá and singing to…
Raíces Rehearsal
Raíces Co-Directors Francisco G. Gómez and Nicole Wines in a Raíces Ensemble rehearsal. Francisco is also the Musical Director of Raíces. Pictured here in the spring of 2010 surrounded by cultural objects and instruments.
Excerpts from Spirit of the Drum: History and Evolution of a Caribbean Tradition
Collage of sequences from the Raíces Cultural Center 2010 production “The Spirit of the Drum”. Depicts some of the rhythms, songs and movements of the orishas Elegua, Yemayá, Changó and Oyá as well as the traditions of batárumba, palo and carnival.
Batárumba: La negra caridad
Rumba is a secular percussion, song and dance tradition that developed on the streets in Cuba. The dance represents the chicken and the rooster, and is a flirtatious and sensual conversation between the two dancers.