Secret messages of the batá drums - Yoruba culture from Nigeria to Cuba

Mystical messages infuse the batá drumming of Nigeria’s Yoruba people. Emerging in the 6th Century royal courts of the Oyo Empire, the artform was transplanted to Cuba during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, where it became critical to the survival of African ethnic identity under Spanish colonial rule, and subsequently became embedded in Cuban culture more broadly.

This episode unveils the meanings and messages of batá drumming by bringing together the insights of three people uniquely connected to the tradition. Ms. Bosede Adetifa, from Yorubaland, is the Language and Outreach Coordinator of the Yoruba Heritage and Cultural Association of Victoria (Australia). Mr. Aloy Junco is a professional dancer and drummer from Cuba, who grew up surrounded by batá drumming. Professor Adrian Hearn is an anthropologist and drummer of English and Brazili ...