El Cabildo de Santa Teresa
fundado por Teresa Villamil "Oya Gadde"
The Villamil family are among the most famous folkloric families in Matanzas. Most of
the members of Afrocuba de Matanzas are Villamil, for example.
Other family members play in such groups as the Conjunto
Folklorico Nacional, Rumba y Son, and los
Muñequitos de Matanzas. In the words of Danilito Perez, who as Omo Elegba and
Tata Nganga represents both the Yoruba and the Congo side of the family: "I was
born to a family completely full of folkloric traditions and AfroCuban customs, the
Villamil family, from which come the greater part of the rumbero singers, percussionists,
and dancers in the province of Matanzas."
We present here a chart of the family relationships as you will find the names it
contains on numerous pages in this site. The two family founders were Ñobla Cardenas,
babalawo, Omo Oggun, and musician from Oyo, the old imperial capital of Yorubaland, and
Mauricio Piloto, another musician from Oyo. They were kidnapped and brought over to
Matanzas in the 1880's. Either Ñobla Cardenas or Mauricio Piloto married a Congo
woman, who must have come from a strong Congo family as the Congo lineage has remained
strong among the Villamil.
The Villamil have a family cabildo, Santa Teresa, and the music group for the
cabildo’s bembe is called Omo Laye, sons of the earth. The cabildo is located on
Matanzas St., e/ Salamanca y Santa Isabel in Matanzas at the house of the recently
deceased elder of the family, Tomasa Villamil.
Originally, the Villamil were all Omo Oggun in the first generation coming from
Yorubaland, as is the custom over there, where people have just one orisha, typically by
family. They changed as they settled into Cuba, where the custom is to have multiple
orishas.
Ñobla Cardenas, a babalawo and Omo Oggun who came from Oyo, capital
of
the Yoruba Empire.
Mauricio Piloto, a musician who also came from Oyo.
Juan Villamil, son of Mauricio Piloto, married Tomasa Cardenas,
daughter of Ñobla Cardenas
Alfred Villamil Cardenas
Julia Gonzalez Villamil married Felix Tapanez Pedro Pablo "Pello" Tapanez
Gonzalez, founder of the cabildo
Zarabanda Briyumba Congo,
percussionist,
founder of Afrocuba de Matanzas
Edubije Villamil, daughter of Juan
Armando Matinez Villamil
Vasilio Villamil(Chango Dele), son of Juan
Fernando Villamil
Regina Villamil, daughter of Juan
Osvaldo
Carmita (omo Obatala)
Cukita
Augustina "Tinita" Villamil, daughter of Juan married Francisco Herrera
("Pancho Camaján")
Juana Herrera Villamil
Jesús Gonzalez Herrera Daniel Elias Alfonso Herrera (master
percussionist, teacher)
Oldani Alfonso Isquierdo (percussionist, Rumba Caliente)
Sara "Mima" Herrera Villamil(Afrocuba, wife of Francisco
Zamora,
director, Afrocuba)
Elias Villamil Cardenas(he didn’t take his father’s name)
Reynaldo "Naldo" Gove (Afrocuba)
Juan Carlos Gove (Afrocuba)
Israel Gove Villamil
Sara (Mima) Gove Villamil (singer, dancer with Afro Cuba
married to Francisco
"Minini" Zamora Chirino)
Olga Gove Villamil (only true child of Octavio Gove Tuscano,
Tinita’s 2nd husband - the rest just took his name)
Eugenio Herrera Villamil
Dulce Maria Herrera Villamil married Pedro Morales
Lazara Morales Villamil
Luis (Luisito) Cansino Morales (percussionist with Los Muñequitos,
formerly with Afro Cuba de Matanzas)
Lazaro Herrera Villamil
Laudelina Herrera Villamil married Filomena Perez Domínguez
Ana Perez (singer, los Muñequitos,
omo Babaluaye) married
Cipriano Nilo García Alfonso
Luis Enriques Garcia Perez (percussionist, Rumba
Son, omo Obatala)
Ramón García (Sandy) Perez
(percussionist, was with Afro Cuba
now in US, omo Oya)
Jurien García Perez (percussionist, singer, dancer, was with
Los Muñequitos, now with Afro Cuba)
Yasmani Alfonso Perez (son of Ana and Jesus Alfonso Miró,
percussionist (quinto) with Los Muñequitos)
singer, dancer, percussionist since age 3
Yurien (Obba Ile, Varadero)
Danilo Perez Herrera (percussionist, quinto, Muñequitos) Danilito Perez
Fernandez (dancer, choreographer, 1966-2022) Maria Dolores (Dolores) Perez
Herrera (singer, Afro Cuba) Omara (translates, teaches English)
Dolores Regla (Paula) Perez Herrera (dancer with
Afrocuba, omo Ochun,
married Israel Berriel of los Muñequitos)
Israel (Puchito) Beriel Perez
(percussionist with Afro Cuba de
Matanzas, omo Elegua)
Teresa Perez Gonzalez ( Teresa (Teresita) Dome Perez
(dancer, singer, was with Afro Cuba,
now in the US)
Odali Fuente
Tomasa Villamil, born in 1901 (recently deceased at age 97,
daughter of Juan, 4 descendants in Rumba y Son) married Bernino García
Beba Teresa Polledo Noriega (Conjunto Foklorico)
Claridad Felipe Garcia Villamil (founder of Emi Keke, now in
New York,
where he teaches and plays)
Betina García Villamil (singer, Afro Cuba)
This is derived from information given by Danilito Perez (father and son), Dolores
Perez, Pello Tapanez, Paula Perez, and Mima Herrera Villamil.
Anyone going to Matanzas, please print this out, get confirmation of the above
(there are loose ends and mistakes), and see if you can flesh it out some. Of
special interest are the elders and what they remember of the founders, including their
Congo lineage.
