Caribbean Studies: The Artistry of Afro-Cuban Bata Drumming (Hardcover)

An examination of one of the most sophisticated, intriguing, and elusive of the world's drumming traditions An iconic symbol and sound of the Lucumí/Santería religion, AfroCuban batá are talking drums that express the epic mythological narratives of the West African Yoruba deities known as orisha.

By imitating aspects of speech and song and by metaphorically referencing salient attributes of the deities, batá drummers facilitate the communal praising of orisha in a music ritual known as a toque de santo.