Cuba - Lonely Planet [33]
Return to beginning of chapter
RELIGION
Religion is among the most misunderstood and complex aspects of Cuban culture. Before the Revolution 85% of Cubans were nominal Roman Catholics, though only 10% attended church regularly. Protestants made up most of the remaining church-going public, though a smattering of Jews and Muslims have always practiced in Cuba and still do. When the Revolution triumphed, 140 Catholic priests were expelled for reactionary political activities and another 400 left voluntarily, while the majority of Protestants, who represented society’s poorer sector, had less to lose and stayed.
* * *
In June 2008 the Cuban government legalized sex-change operations and agreed to provide them free to qualifying parties.
* * *
When the government declared itself Marxist-Leninist and therefore atheist, life for creyentes (literally ‘believers’) took on new difficulties. Though church services were never banned and freedom of religion never revoked, Christians were sent to Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la Producción (UMAPs; Military Production Aid Units), where it was hoped hard labor might reform their religious ways; homosexuals and vagrants were also sent to the fields to work. This was a short-lived experiment, however. More trying for believers were the hard-line Soviet days of the ’70s and ’80s, when they were prohibited from joining the Communist Party and few, if any, believers held political posts. Certain university careers, notably in the humanities, were off-limits as well.
Things have changed dramatically since then, particularly in 1992 when the constitution was revised, removing all references to the Cuban state as Marxist-Leninist and recapturing the laical nature of the government. This led to an aperture in civil and political spheres of society for religious adherents, and to other reforms (eg believers are now eligible for party membership). Since Cuban Catholicism gained the papal seal of approval with Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1998, church attendance has surged and posters welcoming him are still displayed with pride. It’s worth noting that church services have a strong youth presence. There are currently 400,000 Catholics regularly attending Mass and 300,000 Protestants from 54 denominations. Other denominations such as the Seventh Day Adventists and Pentecostals are rapidly growing in popularity.
The religious beliefs of Africans brought to Cuba as slaves were originally layered over Catholic iconography and doctrines, eventually forming new belief systems. Santería (also known as Lucumí) – a complicated mix of Catholicism and Yoruba beliefs – is the most widespread of these and is an integrated part of daily life here; you’ll see initiates dressed in white everywhere you go and many homes have altars tucked into the corners. Other hybrids include Abakuá, a secret society with ancestry in Cameroon and Nigeria, and Arará, a cross between Lucumí and Voodoo celebrated for its distinctive drumming rituals.
Santería has served as a cultural ambassador of sorts, with new museums and dance and drum performances becoming standard itinerary fare. Some take exception to this ‘folkloricization’ of the sacred – dressing all in white has now become fashionable whether you’re initiated or not, for example – and curious tourists may be taken to consultations with babalawos (priests) more interested in your money than your dilemmas.
Return to beginning of chapter
ARTS
In contrast to some other communist countries, Cuba’s reputation as a powerhouse of art and culture is nothing short of staggering. Each provincial town, no matter how small, has a Casa de Cultura that stages everything from traditional salsa music to innovative comedy nights and, on top of this, countless other theaters, organizations and institutions bring highbrow art to the masses completely free of charge.
The quality of what’s on offer is equally amazing. The Cubans seem to have made