María Teresa Vélez - Drumming for the gods: the life and times of Felipe García Villamil, santero, palero, and abakuá

Cover

Page i

DRUMMING FOR THE GODS

IN THE SERIES

Studies in Latin American and Caribbean Music,

edited by Peter Manuel

Page ii

Page iii

Mara Teresa Vlez

The Life and Times of Felipe Garca Villamil,
SANTERO, PALERO, and ABAKU

T E M P L E U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S P H I L A D E L P H I A

Page iv

Temple University Press, Philadelphia 19122

Copyright 2000 by Temple University

All rights reserved
Published 2000
Printed in the United States of America

The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.481984

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vlez, Mara Teresa, 1952

Drumming for the gods : the life and times of Felipe Garca

Villamil, santero, palero, and abaku / by Maresa Vlez.

p. cm. studies in Latin American and Caribbean music)

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

ISBN 1-56639-730-8 (cloth: alk. paper). ISBN 1-56639-731-6

(pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Garcia Villamil, Felipe, 1931 . 2. Drummers (Musicians)
CubaBiography. 3. Santeria musicHistory and criticism.
4. BlacksCubaReligion. I. Title. II. Series.

ML419.G363V45 2000

786.9092

[B]DC21

99029450

Frontispiece: Felipe Garca Villamil playing a bat drum.

(Photo by Adriana Groisman)

Page v

Page vi

Page vii

Page viii

Page ix

Customarily, in this section of a book a number of institutions that have contributed to make the research and writing process possible are acknowledged. In my case I have to thank not an institution but a network of wonderful friends who, through many years, have helped me in ways that would take another life history (mine) to describe. Thus, with profound gratitude, I list their names first.

The place of honor in this list belongs to Felipe Garca Villamil and his wife, Valeria, and to my friends (alphabetically by first name): Adriana Groisman, Ana Caona Ellis, Angela Mara Prez, Beatriz Smith, Carmen Diaz, David Burrows, Karen Jefferson, Krishna K. Candeth, Linda Pelc, Lyndell Brookhouse-Gil, Michael Smith, Mnica Vlez, Nanette Garcia, Olga Vieira, Oscar Correa, and Rodrigo Henao. Gracias .

My gratitude goes also to the many santeros, paleros, and musicians who during these years contributed to make this research possible, and especially to Gregg Askew, Judith Gleason, Louis Bauzo, Milton Cardona, Teddy Holiday, and Jessy Feldman.