Orishas isn’t just a great Cuban hip-hop group (among other things) from Havana: the word refers to gods (or demigods) of the Yoruba religion, found mainly in the Yorubaland region (Nigeria, Benin and Togo).
This religion includes various traditions and has also influenced other traditions and religions, such as:
- Santería
- Vodou
- Trinidad Orisha
- Anago
- Oyotunji
- Umbanda
- Macumba
- Winti
- Obeah
- Candomblé
Just for the pleasure of your ears, a playlist by the group Orishas:
List of the main orishas of Cuba
In Cuba, the orishas are honoured in santería (or regla de Ocha). To preserve their worship under colonisation, African slaves associated them with Catholic saints: this is syncretism. Each orisha has its own domain, colours and way of dancing.
| Orisha | Domain | Colours | Associated Catholic saint | In the dance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eleguá | Messenger, opens and closes paths | Red and black | Holy Child of Atocha | Mischievous, like a child, with his hooked stick (garabato) |
| Ogún | Iron, war, work | Green and black | Saint Peter | Powerful, he “clears” the path with his machete |
| Ochosi | Hunting, justice | Blue and amber | Saint Norbert | The hunter aiming with his bow and arrow |
| Obatalá | Peace, wisdom, purity | White | Our Lady of Mercy | Slow and dignified, often as an old man |
| Changó | Fire, lightning, drums | Red and white | Saint Barbara | Virile and proud, double axe raised, energetic jumps |
| Yemayá | Sea, motherhood | Blue and white | Virgin of Regla | Her skirt ripples like the waves of the ocean |
| Ochún | Rivers, love, femininity | Yellow and gold | Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patron saint of Cuba | Flirtatious and sensual, with her fan or her mirror |
| Oyá | Wind, storms, cemeteries | Brown and multicoloured | Our Lady of Candelaria | Whirls like the wind, fly whisk in hand |
| Babalú Ayé | Illness, healing | Purple and burlap | Saint Lazarus | Walks hunched and limping, leaning on crutches |
Origin of the name “Orisha”
Orisha is the English form of the Yoruba word “òrìṣà”, which can be spelt in other ways in Latin America, such as:
- Orisa
- Oricha
- Orichá
- Orixá
The word is said to derive from the Yoruba words “ori” (head) and the verb “sá” (to choose).
The word head can be understood figuratively as “spirit” or “spirituality” chosen by God – almost a literal representation of what the Orishas embody.
In their spiritual form, the Orishas are often regarded as deities, but they are actually a more complex anthropomorphic entity, linked to objects and power.
In their religious context, they can be classified as “ara orun”, who are primordial and therefore predate the creation of the Earth and humanity, and “irunmole”, who came after the creation of the Earth.
The Ara Orun live in the sky, while the Irunmole are on and in the Earth and were the first earthly beings created.
Orishas can also be deified ancestors who had such an impact that their descendants keep their memory alive. These ancestors then become Orishas through a metamorphosis such as petrification or ascension, which is not seen as their death but rather as a transition to a higher being.
Finally, according to Yoruba beliefs, they can be the most powerful spirits inhabiting natural forces and phenomena. This kind of Orisha acts as an intermediary between humans and the controllable part of nature.
The impact of the Orishas on Cuban dance and music
The Orishas have had a huge impact on Cuban traditions, religions and life in general, through their influence on Santería.
Over time, they made their way into modern Cuban music and dance, appearing in Cuban salsa songs, in the lyrics, and also in the instrumentation and the form of the associated dance.
Thanks to the worldwide reach of Cuban salsa, there are more and more Orisha classes.
It is important to understand the meaning and religious side of the Orishas, even when included in dance, because the context and history bring a lot of cultural information to the movements performed and taught. Indeed, handling the subject badly or performing the movements poorly could be seen as offensive by some, so deeply is it rooted in them, religiously.
The orishas in Cuban music
One of the most famous songs is “Que viva Changó” (also called “A Santa Bárbara”), composed in 1948 by singer Celina González and her husband Reutilio. With titles such as “Una fiesta con Ochún” or “Viva Yemayá”, the duo Celina y Reutilio were among the first to bring the orishas into Cuban popular music, well beyond the ceremonies.
In Cuban salsa, this heritage can be found in lyrics that invoke Changó, Yemayá or Eleguá, in Afro-Cuban percussion, and in the “afro” style movements taught in class, often alongside rumba.
Orisha dance
Orisha dance was brought to Cuba by Black Afro-Cubans as a form of religious expression and is now considered part of everyday Cuban life.
Following the communist revolution, it went through a process of secularisation. Today, Orisha dance is seen more outside its ritual context, within the wider world of dance, integrated into Cuban salsa or casino.
The Orishas are part of Cuba’s cultural heritage: they are performed in schools and on Cuban TV programmes.
Many Orisha dances are now used in a secular way, such as:
- Yewa
- Oba
- Erinle
- Osanyin
However, their specific dance steps to honour the gods have often been modified or lost over time, and generic steps are used in ritual dances.
Some Orishas have entered the repertoire of the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba, such as:
- Aganju Shola
- Aye Ogun
- Babalu Aye
- Elegba – Eleggua
- Obbatala – Obatala
- Oggun
- Oshosi
- Oshun
- Oya
- Shango
- Yemaya
Video demonstration of Babalu Aye:
Video demonstration of Eleggua:
Video demonstration of Obbatala:
Video demonstration of the Orisha Oggun
Video demonstration of Ochosi:
Video demonstration of Oyá:
Video demonstration of Shango:
What about the group Orishas?
If you were looking for the band, Orishas is a Cuban rap group founded in 1999 in Paris by artists from Havana, including Yotuel Romero, Ruzzo Medina and Roldán González. Their first album, “A lo cubano” (1999), blends hip-hop with traditional Cuban music such as son and rumba. The group chose its name as a tribute to the Afro-Cuban deities.
Frequently asked questions about the orishas
How many orishas are there?
The Yoruba tradition counts hundreds of them. In Cuba, in santería, around a dozen orishas are mainly honoured, including those presented in the table above.
Who is the orisha of love?
It is Ochún, goddess of rivers, love and femininity. She is associated with Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba.
Can you dance the orishas without being a believer?
Yes: the orisha dances are taught in Cuban schools and folkloric companies, and in Afro-Cuban dance classes all over the world. They remain linked to a living religion, however: dance them with respect, taking an interest in their meaning.
To discover Cuban dance as a whole, read our complete guide to Cuban salsa.
