When women play the bata drum.
OBINI BATA
The group Obini Bata must overcome
sexist stereotypes and religious
taboos in order to play the drums.
A film by Damian Calvo
SYNOPSIS
Go to Cuba and you will hear the Bata and you will see men and women singing and dancing to their rhythm. These drums, however, are traditionally played by men only, a social convention originating in the religion of Santeria where it is taboo for women to play or even touch the consecrated drums used in religious practice. The Bata a family of three drums--large, medium, and small--are believed to hold "orishas", or spiritual energies.
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Twenty-five years ago a group of women dancers, calling themselves Obini Bata, challenged the tradition, but not the taboo, of all-male drummers. They had been listening and dancing to drums for so many years, that the rhythms came naturally to them. However, the transition from dancer to drummer presented problems. Separately each drum had two sides, each of which carried a different tone and could be given simple rhythms. Played together, the Bata had 6 sides, 6 tones, and multiple rhythms that could produce an intricate musical language that was very difficult to learn, and known only to men. Fortunately, there were people like Frank last name who offered to teach their art to women, as long as they agreed to avoid consecrated drums. After all, throughout the world there were only 100 drums of "fundamento" that housed an "orisha". All the others were unconsecrated drums of "auricula" meant for nonreligious use, to be played wherever people gathered to sing and dance for fun and entertainment.
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"A social convention originating in the religion of Santeria where it is taboo for women to play or even touch the consecrated drums"
"Obini Bata must maintain two goals.
First, a creative nucleus that can train new artists and secondly a platform that defends the rights of women in society, in art and in the drum."
Today audiences in Cuba and around the world can enjoy the well-honed performances of Obini Bata. However, this short film by Damian Calvo does not focus on the stage productions, but on the effort that lies behind them. He gives us an intimate peek into Obini Bata during rehearsal inside their home base at the ancient Cine Cervantes in Havana Cuba. The group is multigenerational ranging from Eva Despagne, the last of the founding members, to a range of younger women gleaned from a variety of professional and artistic backgrounds. In moments of rest taken from strenuous practice, Eva outlines the history of the group and provides a brief introduction to the Bata drums, Iya, Itotele, and Konkolo. The younger members, having benefited from the original struggle to prove that women deserve a place in the world of percussionists, now focus on balancing motherhood, family life and their artistic careers. Eva maintains the longer view that the Obini Bata must maintain two goals. First, a creative nucleus that can train new artists and secondly a platform that defends the rights of women in society, in art and in the drum.
THE OBINI WOMEN
DANIELA R DE ARMAS
Iyalorisha, crowned with Ochun.
Director The London Lucimi Choir.
EVA DESPAIGNE
Founding member.
Director
Obini Bata.
MELENA FRANCIS
Afro Cuban percussionist. Musicologist.