The Artistry Of Afro-Cuban Bata Drumming

By imitating aspects of speech and song, and by metaphorically referencing salient attributes of the deities, bata drummers facilitate the communal praising of orisha in a music ritual known as a toque de santo. Kenneth Schweitzer blends musical transcription, musical analysis, interviews, and ethnographic descriptions to highlight the complex variables at work during a live Lucumi performance.