In the Shadow of the Special Period: Santeria and Everyday Life in Centro Havana
In the Shadow of the Special Period: Santeria and Everyday Life in Centro Havana
- Lázara Menéndez VázquezLázara Menéndez VázquezFaculty of Arts and Letters, Universidad de la Habana
Summary
Santería or Regla Ocha-Ifa belongs to the so-called religions of African origin in Cuba. Since its practice in the colonial period, it has displayed its ability to accommodate change. This is clearly shown in the practice and perception of Santeria, starting with the last decade of the 20th century, in the Habana neighborhood popularly known as the borough of Centro Habana. This essay focuses on the borough of Centro Habana, which is as much a geographical space as a relational one, and because it is considered “marginal” within the imaginary of the city. Without losing sight of its organizational and constitutive particularities, the identification of individuals’ ways of thinking and acting does not always represent changes in worldview or in the belief systems with which they interact. One interviewee stated: “The orisha is a good travelling companion.”
Subjects
- History of the Caribbean
