Ifègbemìí
Playing the sacred bata
Obiní Batá, like the name suggests, is an all-woman percussion group based in Cuba. (Obiní is a word with roots in the Yoruba language of southwestern Nigeria, meaning “woman” In Yoruba, the word is “obinrin” but with the transition of time, geography, and social interaction, the vocabulary has undergone an understandable change.
The bàtá is the sacred drum of the Yoruba people, closely associated with the deity Shango, and historically is only played by men. However, again with the change in time, those restrictions have been lifted, and these women have mastered the playing of the drum. Additionally, Obiní Batá plays various other instruments like the conga, the claves, the chekere, and yes, the chancletas (slippers.)
During a trip to Cuba, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce encountered and was awed by what they saw from this group and immediately made arrangements for them to showcase their artistry for the New York Community during Harlem Week. Here they thrill a crowd on 135th Street in front of the historic Harlem YMCA, where so many historic events have taken place over the years.
Playing the sacred bata
Obiní Batá, like the name suggests, is an all-woman percussion group based in Cuba. (Obiní is a word with roots in the Yoruba language of southwestern Nigeria, meaning “woman” In Yoruba, the word is “obinrin” but with the transition of time, geography, and social interaction, the vocabulary has undergone an understandable change.
The bàtá is the sacred drum of the Yoruba people, closely associated with the deity Shango, and historically is only played by men. However, again with the change in time, those restrictions have been lifted, and these women have mastered the playing of the drum. Additionally, Obiní Batá plays various other instruments like the conga, the claves, the chekere, and yes, the chancletas (slippers.)
During a trip to Cuba, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce encountered and was awed by what they saw from this group and immediately made arrangements for them to showcase their artistry for the New York Community during Harlem Week. Here they thrill a crowd on 135th Street in front of the historic Harlem YMCA, where so many historic events have taken place over the years.