At the Crossroads Afro-Cuban Orisha Arts in Miami

With the settlement of Cubans in the United States, particularly after the 1959 Revolution, the Orisha religion developed in New York, Miami, Chicago, and other cities. A series of mass migrations of Cubans to South Florida transformed Miami into the center of Cuban culture in America. The orishas accompanied their worshipers across the Florida Straits, just as they had joined earlier worshipers on the traumatic journey from West Africa to Cuba.

Cuban exiles to Miami.

The earliest wave of Cuban exiles to Miami consisted mainly of middle to upper class whites. For the most part, this sector of Cuban society was either alien to Afro-Cuban religions or consulted diviners only in times of crisis. The new stresses created by the exile experience in Miami led many people to turn to the Orisha religion, given its emphasis on practical solutions to everyday life and its extensive networks of mutual aid.

In 1980 close to 125,000 Cubans arrived in South Florida during what was known as the “Mariel boatlift.” This massive exodus included people from all strata of Cuban society, a significant number of whom were Orisha practitioners. The Mariel boatlift and more recent migration have played an important role in reinvigorating the Orisha community and its artistic traditions in Miami.

Over the years, people of many other cultural backgrounds have become Orisha practitioners. Though Orisha worship is now an integral part of the American religious landscape, it is still often misunderstood and subjected to negative stereotypes. Such misunderstandings are a legacy of years of colonial denigration of African cultural traditions.

Among an orisha’s paraphernalia are the metal or wooden implements known as herramientas (tools). As implied by the term “herramientas,” these objects “empower” an orisha. Miami’s Orisha community is served by several master toolmakers, including Antonio Salas and Juan Gonzalez.

Many aspects of Afro-Cuban herramientas have counterparts in Yorubaland, such as Shangó’s oshé (a double-headed axe) and the ashabás (charm chains used by various orishas) that are similar to the shabás employed by Yoruba hunters and hunting deities. At the same time, various Western aesthetic elements have been adopted by Orisha toolmakers in Cuba and the United States. Metal crowns, reminiscent of those worn by European imperial monarchs, replaced the more traditional cone-shaped beaded crowns known among the Yoruba today. Symbols were also derived from Cuban plantation society. For example, Orishaokó, the god of agriculture, is represented by an ox-drawn plow, with a parasol in its rear section to protect the farmer from the insolence of the Caribbean sun.

There are two basic types of herramientas: those used for the consecration of an orisha and those employed as regalia by the orisha or by worshipers. The material used to make the implements is determined in accordance with strict religious axioms, in that each orisha has particular preferences. For example, Obatalá (the god of creation and purity) dresses in immaculate white garments. He prefers white metals: silver, stainless steel, and aluminum. Oshún (the goddess of love and sensuality) has a preference for brass. Ogún (the god of iron and war) will only accept iron implements.