Santería Music

Santería music is the sacred music of the Afro-Cuban Lucumí religion, Regla de Ocha, built on consecrated batá drums, call-and-response chant in Lucumí, the Yoruba-derived liturgical language, and drum patterns dedicated to specific orishas. Ceremonial cycles such as the toque de santo open with salutes to Eleguá and proceed through each deity's songs, played on the hourglass-shaped iyá, itótele and okónkolo. Singers such as *Merceditas Valdés* and *Lázaro Ros* brought the repertoire to record, including the late-1940s "Toques de Santo" sessions, while *Afrocuba de Matanzas* documents the Matanzas tradition.