History of African responses to Abakuá

At one time in my life, I did not associate myself with Mgbe, even though I was a title-holder. But the advent of the coming of the Cubans into Calabar for the International Ekpe festival in 2004 awakened a revival in my life. I asked myself: if the Cubans, who were taken from the soil of Africa to where they are today, could sustain Mgbe for over 200 years, why should we in Calabar allow Mgbe to die? There are a lot of things fighting Mgbe, wanting it to die, for instance the Churches around us here, they say Mgbe is fetish, and they preach against Mgbè. But if people who left here centuries ago, were able to keep Mgbe for so long, and they are still wanting it to exist, then there is something in Mgbè. -- Chief Ekon Imona, 2/08

Book Launch, Nigerian Edition of Voice of the Leopard: African Secret Societies and Cuba, by The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization in Lagos, an institution funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is dedicated to study of the African Diaspora

Maobong Oku, of the Efik of Calabar, has Toto Berriel of Los Muñequitos de Matanzas playing in her Vancouver based group. See YouTube video of Canada Day performance  -- Toto is to the left of lead singer Maobong.

Desde Camerún a Cuba: una invitación a la reunión de 2012 de la gran familia Nasako, 6/2011  From Cameroon to Cuba: An invitation to the 2012 reunion of the 'Great Nasako Family'

Constitution of the Calabar Mgbe, This Cross River, Nigeria, organization has as a goal reunion with all Ekpe, including those in Cuba (Abakuá).

Cuban and Nigerian Abakwa Perform in Paris: Le Rituel Abakuá du Nigeria a Cuba, December 20-26, 2007