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Guys,

I've ordered the Music of Santeria based on the many recommendations I've read here (regarding playing the Batas). I wanted to also order a book to give me a complete (or close to complete) resource about the religion and history associated with the drums. My teacher recommended "Los Orishas En Cuba". Would people second that recommendation, or recommend another?

I don't want to spend much money on buying irrelevant or redundant books. If people on this board can come to a consensus about ONE book that is indispensable for any person really trying to research the history and religion, I'd like to know that. Based on what people post on this thread, I will buy that book. Thank you all!

And I'm still on the lookout for a Aberikula bata set...so...any recommendations on that would be appreciated too.

Hi Firebrand,

"Los Orishas en Cuba" by Natalia Bolivar Arostegui is certainly one of the good books. However, it focusses merely on the characterizations of the Orishas. It does not give a comprehensive view over the structure of the religion. Then, most books that try to outline the cult or religion on the whole are condemned to superficiality. My first (literary) introduction to the religion was Migene Gonzalez Wippler, but we don't want to discuss that. Her books were the only material available in German bookstores at the time. I think, one of the better books in that regard is Joseph M. Murphy's "Santería. African Spirits in America". All the other books, such as Michael Atwood Mason's "Living Santería" may be better in some way, but they are no "primers". Anyway, for several reasons you don't find everything you want to know in just one single book, plus, different sources contradict each other, too. So you might end up building a whole library (like me) and/or become a cult insider (by initiation) to get access to information (not the information itself).

No es fácil ...

Thomas

P.S.: I also liked "Walking with the Night" by Raul Canizares.

For excellent theological profiles of the principal Orishas, check out Gary Edwards' and John Mason's "Black Gods- Orisa Studies in the New World". It may be helpful.

TA

I actually ended up buying a revised edition of Migene Wippler's book. The revised edition makes mention of the fact that her initial edition had a lot of misinformation due to purposeful miseducation on the part of people within the religion. They did not trust her. After reading that book, and consulting with a Santero I trust (plus attending a real Tambor De Fundamento to Yemaya in the Bronx), I can attest that 95% of what Migene Wippler writes in her REVISED edition is on point.

I'm still on the lookout for good books to follow up hers, so I'll look for some of the other ones that have been listed here. Thank you!

P.S. - I got myself a set of Aberikula Bata...a Cuban set that I believe MAY be a Sonoc set. I had Cali at JCR fix them up for me recently...they're GOLDEN!

a Cuban set that I believe MAY be a Sonoc set. I had Cali at JCR fix them up for me recently...they're GOLDEN!

Hi Firebrand,

I'd love to see photos of the set!

Thomas

I like John Mason's Orin Orisha. It is relevant for musicians, but it also has a good discussion about each of the Orisas in the discussions.

This one

http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754667537

Our own Thomas Altman
http://ochemusic.de/ochelit.htm

Adrian Coburg

http://www.iyalodde.ch/bata.htm

Hi BnB, all,

I bought the e-copy of "Oru Seco" by Adrian Coburg as well as the "Oru Cantado." The author mentions in his book that there are recordings of the performances that he did with Julio Davalos. Do you or anyone here have a copy of that? I can't find it and I emailed the "contact us" on the website to no avail. On the internet archive, I see that it used to exist a while back before batadrum.com went dead:

http://web.archive.org/web/200603110344 ... ID=1372195

On a tangential note, what happened to Thomas Altmann's "Cantos Lucumí A Los Orishas"? His website seems to have gone defunct.

cheers,
Tae

Thomas quit publishing his book, though he's now declared it public domain, there's a post on it somewhere here at congaplace.