Ojun Degara
La familia Baró - The Baró
Family:
Arará in Jovellanos, Matanzas www.ojundegara.com
From Dahomey to Cuba ~ The Legacy of Esteban Baró Tossú
Authored by: The Baró Family
English Translation: Kiley Acosta, PhD www.ojundegara.com
"Among the multiple ethnic groups that increased the slave
population of colonial Cuba, there were many men and women who came from the
region of Dahomey, Africa, known today as the Republic of Benin. Africans in
Cuba of Dahomean origin were generally known as Arará. The Arará were made
up of a homogenous group of ethnicities and tribes. Their convergence in
Afro-Cuban mutual aid societies called cabildos was the means that enabled
the Arará to conserve their religious and artistic manifestations in Cuba.
Kiley Acosta interviews the Baró
family on their history
In the decade of slavery circa 1870, at the age of eleven years old, Esteban
Baró Tossú arrived on our lands from the region of Dahomey, presently the
Republic of Benin. He was accompanied by his parents. In those years, they
resided in Central Santa Rita Baró in the province of Matanzas, which is
known today as Central Rene Fraga. The Baró family takes its last name from
the province, as it was customary for slave owners to give their surnames to
slaves in their possession so that the enslaved Africans would forget their
own names. Due to this imposition, the young slave Esteban adopted the
surname Baró.
When slavery was abolished in the year 1886, the Baró family moved to Bemba,
present-day Jovellanos, to work on the town’s sugar plantations.
Approximately ninety years ago, Esteban Baró Tossú took the initiative to
create the African society “San Manuel and His Descendants.” The main
objective of this society was to group together everyone who, in some way or
another, practiced religious Arará rituals of African origin. In this way,
he endeavored to make Arará rituals worthy of respect, and henceforth,
practitioners would not confront difficulties when performing their ritual
activities such as drumming and African dances, which they would carry out
on corresponding days that were respected and upheld within the tradition.
This institution was inaugurated on November 7th, 1920.
According to the stories of his descendants, Esteban brought with him
everything that we know about Arará rhythms. In his day, it was customary
for enslaved Africans to be “permitted” to celebrate their parties. This
presented an opportunity for slaves, who took advantage of the celebrations
to pay homage to the fodun (saint or oricha) of their devotion.
Over the course of many years, the Baró family has made very serious efforts
to conserve their cultural traditions. March 23, 1977 marks one of their
most significant achievements. On this day, the Baró family commemorates the
founding of their own folkloric ensemble, whose name Ojundegara means “to
the rhythm of the drum, I will return to my homeland.” As such, Ojundegara
is the only performance group in existence today that has preserved these
particular Arará rites along with their musical interpretation. The group
was created by Esteban’s eldest children, Maximiliano and Miguelina, with
help from Esteban’s grandson Miguel Mederos Baró, who currently serves as
Director."
Video de Patricio "Papito" Baró, por AfroKuba, 9/2016
Papito Baró is the youngest son of Esteban Baró Tossú, who came from Dahomey.
He was a copadre of Chachá
Papito Baró es el hijo menor de Esteban Baró Tossú, quien vinio de Dahomey.
Era copadre con Chachá.
Con el permiso de Miguel Ángel García
Velasco, AfroKuba.
Enviado por jovellanos
on Wed, 02/20/2008 - 15:47.
Parece
provenir de una denominación jergal de los negros con respecto a la
Villa Aradá en Dahomey, aunque no todos los negros procedían de este
sitio. También fueron denominados Arará los hombres secuestrados
Chama perteneciente a los pueblos de lengua adjá. Aparece en
Jovellanos en el Cabildo San Manuel con carácter Mogino este ritual
se caracteriza por su limpieza y la práctica del bien.
La familia Baró lleva esta religión por tradición
integrado actualmente su mayoría el Conjunto Folklórico Ojundegara,
este ejemplo posiblemente en América Latina sea uno de los pocos
vestigios existentes. Ojundegara es un Ave abanderado de esa región
africana tiene muy lindo plumaje y gran garganta donde quiera que
canta se oye su voz. Esta agrupación tradicional creada el 23 de
marzo de 1977 dedicada a conservar y trasmitir de una generación a la
otra, las tradiciones legada por nuestros ancestros.
Ha representado dignamente nuestro país en Berlín,
España, RDA durante estos 29 años perteneciente al movimiento de
Artista Aficionados han participado en festivales, Percuba, del Caribe,
Chano Pozo, Encuentro de grupos portadores, Wemilere. Galardonados don
diferentes órdenes y medallas, grabaciones de discos y la obtención
de Disco de Oro, propuesta al Premio Nacional de cultura Comunitaria.
Mantiene relaciones y vínculos con estudiantes de universidades de
distintos países: Estados Unidos, México, Colombia, etc.
El trabajo de Ojundegara no sólo está dedicado a
los adultos, es digno destacar la labor de transmisión del territorio,
realizando talleres con temáticas de africanía. Recientemente se han
incorporado a los Programas Esperanza Social y Amanecer en el
municipio Jagüey Grande llevando la cultura Arará a los jóvenes y
enfermos de los países hermanos Venezuela y Bolivia. Podemos afirmar
ciertamente: La Cultura Popular tradicional en nuestro localidad esta
dignamente representada por esta agrupación que todo nuestro pueblo
admira y respeta por su constancia y dedicación.
Red Barrial Afrodescendiente rescata del olvido a mujeres negras 12/17/2017 IPS: "Miguelina
Niña Baró vivió 95 años. Fue por seis décadas lideresa de un cabildo en
Jovellanos, en la provincia de Matanzas, y creadora de una agrupación que
defiende la música y la danza arará, el nombre cubano dado a los esclavos
traídos de África de las etnias ewe, adjá y fong."
Arará ~ de
Dahomey a Cuba: la familia Baró (Int. Kiley Acosta) 1/8/2016 YouTube: "A
snippet of Baró family history. Interpreter: Kiley Guyton Acosta, PhD.
Jovellanos, Cuba. December 24, 2015 Ojundegara is an internationally-acclaimed
cultural heritage group founded by the descendants of Esteban Baró, an African
child captured in Dahomey (Republic of Benin) and brought to Cuba as a slave
circa 1870. The Baró family is recognized for impeccably preserving the arará
traditions of Esteban’s ancestral homeland while ensuring that African
traditions stay alive and thrive in the diaspora. Ojundegara has been honored
with awards from UNESCO and Cuba’s Ministry of Culture for their cultural
heritage preservation efforts. Kiley Acosta, PhD, serves as the group’s
International Representative. Contact: kileyacosta@ConnectARTE.com * Español *
Un pequeño fragmento de la historia de la familia Baró. Interprete: Kiley Guyton
Acosta, PhD. Jovellanos, Cuba. 24 diciembre, 2015."
AfroCuban Voices with Common Ground and CASA ... Cuba May 24-31 2014 -Wonderful
Group! 8/3/2014 Saravá y Aché: "Como parte de un programa educacional que
coincidimos en llamar AfroCuban Voices, organizado por Common Ground Education &
Travel Services, de EEUU en coordinación con Casa de las Ame´ricas, entre el
24-31 de Mayo 2014 nuevamente estuve al frente de un grupo de académicos,
intelectuales y artistas de EE.UU que cubrimos una apretada agenda que nos llevó
precisamente a la casa sede de la familia Baró, en un modesto barrio de
Jovellanos, Matanzas, donde fuimos recibidos con una calurosa bienvenida y
escuchamos una exhaustiva explicación por parte de Teresita Baró, acerca de los
orígenes y derrotero de dicha familia y la agrupación folklórica que cuidan con
celo."
Legados Arará – Parte I 8/18/2013 Fratermidad Ifa: "En Matanzas, provincia
cubana donde se fundaron los primeros cabildos Arara, le llaman Asoyi, y en
Jovellanos, el asiento integrado por los Baró, le llaman Alua y Ojundegara."
Los Araras en Cuba (3) 2/13/2013 Raíces Cubanas: "En Jovellanos, tanto en
casa de los Baró como en casa de Marcos Zulueta se le nombra Hebioso Ana Má."
Las Tradiciones Arará en Jovellanos. 9/4/2012 FotoPacheco: "Con un amplio
programa de actividades se desarrollo exitosamente la IX Edición del Festival
Cuba – Benin, en el municipio de Jovellanos, provincia de Matanzas, Cuba."
The Baró Family of Jovellanos, Land of the Lost Majino 2/15/2012 Baba Who?
Babalú!: "In my quest to get to know the Arará world, last week I travelled
three hours from Havana to the little town of Jovellanos, Matanzas Province.
There, I spent the afternoon in conversation with Patricio Baró and his son
Manuel. Patricio is the last surviving son of the famous Esteban Baró; his older
and widely respected sister, Miguelina, died recently. Esteban’s parents were
from Savalu and Atakpame, and he spoke both Yoruba and Fon-gbe, which he called
Nago and Fono. Devoted to Dan Aïda Güeró, Esteban presided over the Sociedad San
Manuel in Jovellanos, and his Güeró was impressive when it came down. He was
also infamous for being irascible, refusing to share information outside of his
family or the tiny Majino community."
PRINCIPLE
OJUN DEGARA 2/7/2010 YouTube: "PERHAPS THE MOST RESPECTED GROUP IN CUBA
THAT IS PART OF A TRADITION THAT DATES BACK THOUSAND OF YEARS. THE ARE THE
PROTECTORS OF THIS TRADITION. THIS IS PERHAPS THE ONLY AVAILABLE VIDEO OF THIS
GROUP WHICH STILL RESIDE IN JOVELLANOS, CUBA. THEIR DRUMS, DANCES ALL REFLECT
THIS REMARKABLE TRADITION WHICH TRACES IT BACK TO DAHOMEY."
Festival Cultural Africano en Expocuba 5/25/2002 Cultura, Cuba: "La jornada
inaugural contó, además, con el lanzamiento del Poema “El África que observo con
mis dedos” del señor Antonio Gonçalves, Agregado Cultural de Angola, un
espectáculo de acción plástica donde se integraron el grupo ISADANZA, Tropatrapo
y el grupo Obba Areanle; un espectáculo musical a cargo del grupo Batanga Sonoc,
y, concluyó la jornada, el grupo folkórico Ojun Degara [un grupo Arara fundado
por la familia Baró] de Jovellanos, Matanzas, quien no sólo hizo bailar a los
presentes si no que atrajo a numerosas personas que se encontraban en otras
áreas del recinto ferial."
"Ojun Degara is perhaps one of the oldest and most respected
guardians of what in Cuba is known as the Arara tradition. This
tradition/ethnicity has been termed Adja/Ewe Fon as it relates to similar
groups in Africa. Africans who arrived from the territory known as Dahome
(what is now known as republic of Benin) were given this designation because
of the seaport from which they departed: Alada. The founders of Ojun Degara
(members of the well known Baró Family) are by far the most authentic and
traditional of the Arara ensembles in Cuba. The music and dance they perfom
are in honor of their deities known as Foddun or Voddun."
- www.orishaproductions.com
Parece
provenir de una denominación jergal de los negros con respecto a la
Villa Aradá en Dahomey, aunque no todos los negros procedían de este
sitio. También fueron denominados Arará los hombres secuestrados
Chama perteneciente a los pueblos de lengua adjá. Aparece en
Jovellanos en el Cabildo San Manuel con carácter Mogino este ritual
se caracteriza por su limpieza y la práctica del bien.