Santeria’s Popularity
Catherine Bremer, writing for Reuters, takes a look at the booming popularity of Santeria for tourists in Cuba.
“A babalawo, or priest, of Cuba’s ritual-filled Santeria religion, Castellano wears a gold chain and has a TV and a telephone that stand out from the animal skulls, pigeon blood, melted candle wax and feathers that litter his dingy home. Such modern accoutrements are testament to a flow of tourists that has made Santeria a lucrative business for some, bringing in foreign currency that makes the difference between a frugal lifestyle or relative wealth in communist-run Cuba.”
The vast majority of Cubans are Santeria followers, and the country has always been a place for tourists to seek advice or even initiation from a Santera or Babalawo. Its become so popular, and such a steady form of income in the poverty-stricken country that some worry the religion will “sell out” or be overrun by con-artists.
“…white-clad taxpaying babalawos are on a level with Cubans with permits to run book stores or drive taxis. And the ones working on the quiet make more than they would as cigar hawkers or tour guides. Many are among the few Cubans with access to a phone or e-mail. Still, like anything in life, when Santeria goes too commercial, it loses much of its magic. ‘Santeria is not a commercial thing. Everyone has to pay to be cleansed, but priests shouldn’t pester people for business,’ said Cuban anthropologist and Santeria expert Natalia Bolivar. ‘Foreigners have always come to see babalawos, because it’s fashionable or someone told them about it. There are unscrupulous people who take advantage of that. But truly religious people never would.’”
A political subtext here that goes unspoken is what will happen in post-Castro Cuba. Will America intervene at Castro’s death to forcefully democratize the country? If so, what kind of future can the people of Cuba expect? Will we see an even bigger influx of Cuban immigrants (and thus, a bigger influx of Santeria practitioners) in the turmoil that would follow? As Santeria becomes an every-growing religious movement in America, it should be interesting to see how we react. Is mainstream America ready for Lukumi/Santeria houses side by side with Muslim mosques and Christian Churches?
If the population of American adherents reaches 3 or 4 million (which isn’t that improbable) it could very well happen.
One response so far
Speaking as a Cuban immigrant living in Miami, I don’t think that the vast majority of Cubans are Santeros, but I don’t have any stats at my fingertips.
Second, Santeria has been a lucrative business both on and off the island for years. You know that joke about the difference between Pagan and New Age being a decimal point? It pales in comparison to what it costs to go down the path of Santeria.
Third, as for what will happen in a post-Castro Cuba, that is the million dollar question that is constantly being debated here in the Cuban exile community. Come visit sometime; I make good coffee.