Time Line Cuba

A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!
; "age #1
Timeline of Lucum History
This timeline is an ongoing process; within it, I am hoping to document major dates and
events in Lucum history, and eventually, the migration of various lineages throughout
Cuba, the nited !tates, and the rest of the world" #ecause a timeline is history in a
capsule, the wor$s referenced for this project should be read individually to ac%uire a
fuller grasp of the Lucum movement throughout Cuba and beyond" I will try to denote
where major scholars are at odds on important events; I will also notate which
scholarship I trust, and for what reasons" Conflicting data will be footnoted so the reader
can do his or her own research and come to his or her own conclusions" &lso, as can be
noted by reading this timeline, I am dividing the yearly sections into events that occurred
on Cuban shores and events that occurred on nited !tates shores" I have done this to
ma$e it easier for the reader to follow" &s I reach out into other areas of the world
influencing or having been influenced by Lucum events, I will continue to brea$ the
timeline down into even smaller subsections"
1492
On Cuban Shores
&ugust '( It was on &ugust ', 1)*+, that Crist,bal Col,n -$nown also as Christopher
Columbus. set sail from !pain to find new trade routes"
/ctober +0 1 +* -historical references vary on e2act date.( It was on /ctober +0 3 +*,
1)*+, that Crist,bal lands on the island that will later be named Cuba, and claims it for
the !panish crown"
1508
On Cuban Shores
1
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #+
42plorers believed that Cuba was connected to 5orth &merica; however, in 1678,
!ebasti9n de /campo sailed around Cuba, proving it was an island"
1511
On Cuban Shores
Crist,bal Col,n:s son, ;iego, relocates to Cuba" ;iego <el9=%ue= is appointed governor
of the island by !pain" 5ote that when the !paniards came in 1611, the native Taino
people offered a huge feast to welcome them" &fter the feast, the !panish soldiers turned
on the natives" They were slaughtered and disemboweled in a vicious attac$" The Taino
chief >atuey was burned at the sta$e after this carnage"
151
On Cuban Shores
The !panish crown allows &mador de Lares to bring four &fricans as slaves from
>ispaniola" The names of the slaves are not remembered, however, this is the first
documented evidence that &frican slaves were brought to the island"
1514
On Cuban Shores
?9nfilo de 5arv9e= establishes the city of >avana" It was named after a local chief, !an
Crist,bal de >abana"
151!
On Cuban Shores
+
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #'
@ore &fricans, $idnapped from their homeland, arrive in Cuba in small numbers"
1519
On Cuban Shores
;ecember 10, 161*( The first Catholic mass is celebrated in >avana, under a Ceiba tree"
1520
On Cuban Shores
!even years after the first small group of &frican slaves were brought to Cuba, the first
large group of &frican slaves, '77 in total, were brought to wor$ in the gold mines"
152"
The !panish crown issues a royal writ allowing slaves who can afford to do so to
purchase their freedom"
15
On Cuban Shores
The first documented slave uprising in Cuba happens this year( four unnamed slaves from
the Aobabo mines battle the military; they fight to their death" To %uell colonist:s fears, the
heads of the four men are removed and displayed in #ayamo"
158
On Cuban Shores
Local slaves, assisted by Brench pirates, burn >avana"
'
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #)
5ote that there were si2 Christian towns in Cuba at this time( !antiago -87 houses.,
>avana -between 07 1 87 homes., #aracoa, ?uerto ?rncipe, !anti !pritus, and #ayamo
with '73)7 homes each"
1550
On Cuban Shores
The !panish crown allows a rich merchant group to import &frican slaves to Cuba"
155!
On Cuban Shores
@ay 1)( >avana City Council issues a decree that prohibited &frican3owned taverns or
inns" It also prevented them from selling tobacco or wine" The punishment for infraction
was fifty lashes with a whip"
15"8
On Cuban Shores
Cabildo !hang, is established in >avana" This is the first cabildo formed on the island"
1
158"
On Cuban Shores
1
&froCubaCeb, page 1"
)
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #6
!eptember( & royal decree regulating the sale of tobacco states that penalties for brea$ing
this law are doubled if the law3brea$er is a negro" In addition to doubled penalties, the
negro was to receive +77 lashes in public"
1"00
On Cuban Shores
There are 18 ingenias -sugar mills. established in the city of >avana" Chile all employ
slave labor, none has more than +D slaves on its roster"
+
1"0!
On Cuban Shores
>avana becomes the capital of Cuba"
1"82
On Cuban Shores
#lac$s, mulattos, and metis are forbidden, by Catholic !ynode, to enter Church orders"
#lac$s cannot see$ asylum with the church, nor can they sing at funerals"
'
1"8!
On Cuban Shores
& papal synode instructs priests in Cuba to begin conversion of &fricans to Catholic
beliefs"
)
+
'
)
6
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #D
1!08
The !panish crown issued a decree allowing slaves to purchase their freedom" Those who
did so were to be $nown as cortados"
1!2!
On Cuban Shores
'77 slaves revolt in Euiebra3>acha, a sugar mill in the western part of >avana" It too$
government and military intervention to sustain the revolt"
5ote that sample populations of slaves in Cuba between 10D7 and 10D* showed that 8"++
percent of all slave labor was from /y, -Lu$um, as described by @iguel C" Famos."
6
1!"2
On Cuban Shores
#etween10D+ and 18'8, roughly '*1,777 slaves are brought to Cuba"
1!"
On Cuban Shores
Cidespread raiding of the GorubaHLucum territories began in this year"
1!"4
On Cuban Shores
6
@iguel C" Famos, page )+"
D
It was in 10D) that the custom of receiving &frican cabildos on the day of $ings, in the
palace, began"
D

1!!4
On Cuban Shores
The Cuban census of this year brea$s down the island:s population as follows( 10+,D+7
inhabitants" /f these there are( *D,))7 whites, '1,8)0 cortados -free blac$s, as defined by
!pain., and )),''' &frican slaves"
On Oy#$s Shores
;uring the reign of &lafin &biodun, in 100), /yo:s interest in the slave trade began"
0
1!!5
On Cuban Shores
Cith its slave labor, sugar plantations produce ),077 tons of sugar this year"
1!89
On Cuban Shores
#y 108*, the Goruba were among the largest slave population in Cuba"
On S%anish Shores
D
0
@iguel C" Famos, page )1"
0
@ay '1, 108*( Iing Charles III issues a new code2 for slavery" It was titled JThe Foyal
;ocument on the Trades and /ccupations of !laves"K Brom the age of 10 through the age
of D7, blac$s were to toil in Cuban fields" It allows only +07 wor$ days per year" @asters
are forced to feed and clothe slaves according to accepted standards" They are forced to
instruct them in Catholicism and convince them to ta$e @ass regularly" >owever, slave3
master regulations were not forced on a consistent basis"
1!91
On Cuban Shores
/ne out of every +' residents in Cuba is a blac$ slave" #etween 10*1 and 1876, *1,+11
slaves are brought in through >avana:s port"
1!95
On Cuban Shores
5icol9s @orales, a free blac$, leads an uprising that starts in #ayamo and spreads
throughout the eastern part of Cuba" It is %uic$ly suppressed by the !panish army" In A
History of $u%a and its &elations 'ith the (nited States) *olume +) ,-./0,1-2( J" " " what
especially disturbed the slave3owners about this uprising was that whites and negroes
joined together in the revolt and demanded, as in the >aitian revolution, e%uality between
blac$ and white"K
Cuba now produces 1),777 tons of sugar a year due to increased slave labor"
1877 through 18+7( !laves brought from ancient /y, -Lu$um, as defined by @iguel C"
Famos. total 8"'8 percent of Cuba:s slave population"
8
8
8
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #*
1805
On Cuban Shores
Cuba now produces '),777 tons of sugar each year, due to increased slave labor" That is a
huge increase from 10*6, in which national production was only 1),777 tons"
180"
On Cuban Shores
&n &fro Cuban cabildo is founded in @atan=as"
*
Femember that these are &frican
mutual3aid societies based on ethnic identity" @any in the cabildos wor$ to purchase the
freedom of more influential members of their respective societies, the priesthood"
1812
On Cuban Shores
AosL &ntonio &ponte, leader of 5egro uprising, and eight of his accomplices are caught
and put in prison" >e was a free blac$ man and militia commander who organi=ed a
revolt of the slaves" This uprising was $nown as the A"onte $ons"iracy3
&pril *, 181+, at *('7 a"m"( AosL &ponte and the other accomplices are put to the gallows"
&ponte:s head is displayed in an iron cage in front of his house" >is hand is displayed in
another street" The heads of his accomplices are also displayed"
1!92&1815
On Cuban Shores
*
&froCubaCeb, page +"
*
5apoleonic wars bring prosperity to Cuba" ;emand for sugar, tobacco, and coffee
increases, and more money is put to crop production by the crown" @ore slaves are
brought"
181!
On S%anish Shores
;ecember( Iing Berdinand <II of !pain writes, Jthe impossibility of finding Indians " " "
to do the wor$ of brea$ing and cultivation of land demanded that this wor$ " " " be
delivered into more robust arms"K Thus, he e2plained the illegal increase of slaves -per
the #ritish agreement. on the island"
On Cuban Shores
& #ritish3inspired agreement in 1810 ends the slave trade, but after the agreement, slaves
are imported illegally, and in greater numbers"
The new census brea$s down the population thus( +'*,777 whites and ''1,777 non
whites -blac$s and those of mi2ed heritage."
#etween 18+1 and 18'1, more than '77 e2peditions bring over D7,777 slaves to Cuba"
&mong these slaves -prior to 1*'7. were two men important to the history of bat9 in
Cuba and the rest of the world( Mo Auan el Cojo, NyOnb, and Mo Bilomeno Parcia,
NtOnd9 B9lQb" Mo Auan el Cojo was a babalawo, osainista, and drummer" Bilomeno
Parcia was a babalawo, carverHsculptor, and olQbOt9 -chief of the drum." The wor$ of
these two men would restore the true bat9 drums to Cuba"
17
1825
17
Aohn @ason, pages 1+31)"
17
On Cuban Shores
It was about this year that /y, practices became paramount in the religion"
11
182"
On Cuban Shores
The !panish schooner @inerva lands D boatloads of slaves in the port of >avana at night"
#ritish authorities try to prosecute, however, Peneral Brancisco ;ionisio, captain general
of Cuba, refuses because they were not caught at high sea"
1+
182!
On Cuban Shores
The census for this year shows the following brea$down( '11,777 whites, +8D,777 slaves,
and 17D,777 free negroes or mi2ed bloods" It lists 1,777 sugar mills, '7,7*7 ranches,
6,6') tobacco farms, and +,7D0 coffee plantations"
In the late 18+7s, /y, If9 priest Mo Femigio >errera, &ddLchina, was enslaved in Cuba"
The e2act year of his arrival is not $nown, for he arrived on one of the undocumented
slave3ships operating illegally at that time"
1'
>e was put to wor$ in a sugar mill and
wor$ed as a slave for an un$nown amount of time, however, because of his status as a
Lucum If9 priest, other slaves from /y, %uic$ly paid for his freedom" The year that his
freedom was bought was circa 18+0" Cithin a year of obtaining freedom, he created
Cabildo Lucum !anta #9rbara at 106 ;ahoi= !treet, on he corner of @an=aneda !treet"
>is Cuban priesthood began there, at the Cabildo he opened"
1)
11
@iguel C" Famos, page 61"
1+
1'
Femember that the #ritish3inspired agreement of 1810 made slave3trade illegal"
1)
@iguel C" Famos, pages )63)D"
11
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #1+
1828
On Cuban Shores
Cabildo Lucum !anta #arbara is established by Mo Femigio >errera, &ddLchina" The
address of this cabildo was 106 ;ahoi= !treet, on the corner of @an=aneda !treet"
180
On Cuban Shores
It was this year that both Mo Bilomeno Parcia and Mo Auan el Cojo began attending
cabildo &la$isa" The name of the cabildo means, Jthe ragged ones"K It was in >avana on
4gido !treet" The drums that were used there, however, were not orthodo2, and the two
men wanted to correct his" Together, they built the first set of properly constructed drums
in Cuba, and named them NyOnb after Mo Auan el Cojo"
182
On 'ritish Shores
#ritish colonies abolish slavery in its entirety"
On Cuban Shores
#etween 10*7 and 18'*, sugar haciendas increase from )77 to 877"
18"
On Oy#$s Shores
1+
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #1'
The Bulani Aihad causes ancient /yo:s fall" @any Goruba are sold into slavery by
con%uerors and wound up, illegally, in Cuba"
16
The $ingdom of /yo is decimated and no
longer e2ists within its original boundaries"
1D
On Cuban Shores
18)7:s to 1867s( @iguel C" Famos documents that sometime in this time period, @a
@onserrate &pot, Pon=ale=, /ba Tero, an 4gb9do native, arrived in Cuba" !he was
smuggled in one of the slave ships that operated illegally to transport &frican slaves"
10
Bor
this reason, one is unable to determine the e2act year of her arrival"
1842
On Cuban Shores
The Cuban census reports( 1,7'0,D+) people in Cuba" ))8,+*1 are white, 16+,8'8 are free
blac$s, and )'D,)*6 are slaves" The number of slaves almost matches that of whites"
?lease note that the total number of &fricans on the island now outnumbers whites by a
total of 1)1,7)+ people" Those of mi2ed heritage -biracial. are included in the count of
free blac$s by the census"
184
On Cuban Shores
& slave named Carlotta pic$s up her machete -Ja mad blac$ womanRK. and leads an
uprising at Triunvirato, a sugar mill in @atan=as" nfortunately, she is $illed by
authorities"
18
16
1D
@iguel C" Famos, )+"
10
@iguel C" Famos, )'"
18
1'
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #1)
1849
On Cuban Shores
Gucatecan Indians from @e2ico are imported for slave labor" &t the same time, Chinese
contract wor$ers are entering Cuba in large numbers" This is to offset the difficulty of
importing slave labor from &frican regions"
Chites enforce segregation in public to stress their superiority"
1850
On Cuban Shores
Twenty years after the fall of ancient /y, in the Goruba provinces, the population of /y,
natives and descendants -described as Lu$um by @iguel C" Famos. totals '6 percent of
the slave population" They were the majority among Cuba:s slaves"
1*
185
On Cuban Shores
!eptember +', 186'( !pain appoints the @ar%uis Auan de la ?e=uela as Captain Peneral
of Cuba" >e is against slavery, and is assigned the tas$ of suppressing it"
;ecember 0, 186'( 4iario de la Marina, a government newspaper, begins a series of
articles discussing slavery and slave traffic$ing" The articles stress the advantage of a free
labor system"
1*
1)
;ecember +', 186'( @ar%uis de la ?e=uela issues decrees( 5egroes J$nown by the name
of Semancipados: are all freeK; anyone caught importing &fricans would be heavily fined
and banished from the island for two years; all governors and lieutenant governors who
fail to advice him of clandestine landings in their respective provinces will be removed
from office" &t this time, a blac$ bought in &frica for )7 JdurosK could be sold in Cuba
for 077 Jduros"K Cuba:s long and bro$en coastline ma$es it difficult to prevent landings"
!lave traders continue to ris$ the established #ritish bloc$ades"
1854
On Cuban Shores
&pril( & number of influential slave owners meet in >avana with "!" Consul Cilliam >"
Fobertson to urge that he persuade "!" ?resident ?ierce to send &merican troops to
Cuba to prevent slave emancipation"
@ay( &ll slave owners are instructed to ma$e a full declaration of their slave property"
This includes name, age and se2 of each slave, and purchase information"
18"
On Cuban Shores
Timotea &lbear, Latu9n, arrived in Cuba in 18D'" !he and her Congo husband 4varisto
&lbear were domestic slaves in the home of Colonel Brancisco &lbear y Lara" !he and
her husband arrived on the same illegal slave ship in @atan=as, and were brought to
>avana""
+7
In the city of >avana, &ndres Bacundo Cristo de ;olores ?etit begins initiating white
men into the &ba$u9 mysteries" These rituals and mysteries are derived from the 4fi$ and
+7
16
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #1D
4fo tribes from the Cross Fiver ;elta in 5igeria" &ll of the initiates are the children of
rich white families, and are accused of conspiring against !pain"
+1
18"5
On Cuban Shores
@arch +6, 18D6( &n article in El Siglio by the Count of ?on=os ;ulces -who owned the
paper., announced the formation of the Feform ?arty, adding that a number of slave and
property owners have joined intellectuals in favoring the end of the slave traffic and the
abolition of slavery"
5ovember +6, 18D6( & Foyal ;ecree establishes a $olonial &eform $ommission to
discuss proposals to reform the island" & 5unta de +nformaci6n (7oard of +nformation! is
to discuss ' issues( 1" !pecial laws already promised and how they are to be founded; +"
>ow to regulate the wor$ of blac$s and &sians and the encouragement of white
immigration; '" commercial treaties and related ta2 reforms"
#y this time, Creole liberals are encouraged by the end of the Civil Car in 5orth
&merica, the !panish defeat in the revolution of !anto ;omingo, and the victory of
Au9re= in @e2ico" @any Cubans are more willing to oppose the government, but most of
the wealthy are still reluctant to ris$ their property in radical measures" The fear of the
5egroes in a revolution is one of the main restraining factors"
!ometime in the late 18D7s, @a @onserrate &pot, Pon=ale=, /ba Tero, ac%uired her
freedom"
++
18""
On Cuban Shores
+1
&froCubaCeb, page '"
++
1D
Femigio >errera, &ddLchina, moved to >avana and established Cabildo Gemay9 in
Fegla" The drums for this cabildo were also commissioned in 18DD"
+'
Mo Auan el Cojo,
NyOnb, and Mo Bilomeno Parcia, NtOnd9 B9lQb, were the two who built these drums"
They were named after Bilomeno, NtOnd9" 4ventually, these drums NtOnd9 are
confiscated by Cuban authorities"
+)
It would be %uite some time before they were given
bac$ to the cabildo"
+6
5ote that many confuse the cabildo in >avana with the cabildo he
established in @atan=as, $a%ildo Lucum Santa 7r%ara" Chile he helped establish both,
they remained separate entities in their respective areas" TFefer to the years 18+0 and
18+8"U
18!2
On Cuban Shores
#y 180+, Femigio >errera, &ddLchina, was established in Fegla in a house on +' !an
Cipri9n !treet"
+D
18!
On Cuban Shores
;ecember ), 180'(
+0
@iguel C" Famos documents that ere is the first historical evidence
of a tambor played with bat9 drums to !hang, on his feast day in Cabildo !anta #arbara"
The drums were played by Mo Femigio >errera, &ddLchina" @iguel C" Famos
+'
@iguel C" Famos, page )D"
+)
Aohn @ason, page 1)"
+6
&s an irony, the original drums crafted by these two men and named after Auan, NyOnb, were inherited
after their death by &ndres Foche first, and after &ndres: death, they fell into the hands of &ndres: son,
?ablo Foche" &fter inheriting the original bat9 drums of Cuba from his father, ?ablo inherited NtOnd9" The
two drums named after their two creators were together again"
+D
+0
?lease compare this entry with that for the year 18'7" &lthough this may be the first historical evidence
of a bat9 played to !hang, on his feast day, the bat9 drums were first consecrated in 18'7, and it would be
ludicrous to thin$ that no one played a tambor there for any orisha, or, for that fact, in cabildo Gemay9"
10
documents the following from correspondence with Israel @olinar, a professional
@atan=as historian" The letter was dated /ctober D, 1***" Israel @olinar wrote to @iguel
Famos, J&n inspector from the town of !an Brancisco informed the Civil Povernor of
the city of @atan=as about a significant incident in the Lucum Cabildo !anta #9rbara,
situated on @an=aneda !treet, on the corner of <elarde, where Mo Femigio >errera
&ddLchina played three strange drums he called bat9, in the celebrations of ;ecember
'"K
+8
&froCubaCeb documents that the last slave ship disembar$s in Cuba"
+*
1881
Mo Femigio >errera, &ddLchina, moved to '1 !an Cipri9n !treet with his wife Brancisca
#u=let, his stepdaughter 4ugenia Lausevio, his own daughter 5orma Aosefa, and his son,
Teodoro"
'7
1884
&frican Cabildos no longer have permission to come out on the ;ay of Iings"
'1
&round the 18*7s to early 1*77s, because the orishas re%uested it, Lucum adherents
began sharing $nowledge with the &rar9" It was @a @onserrate Pon=ale= who began
teaching them about diloggQn divination, and in turn, they taught her the secrets of
#abaluaiye, 5anumL, 5ana #uru$u, and other &rar9 orishas"
'+
5ote that the &rar9 in
western &frica had the secrets of cowrie3shell divination, however, those that were
brought to Cuba in slavery either did not retain or did not pass on that $nowledge, and by
+8
+*
&froCubaCeb, page )"
'7
'1
&froCubaCeb, page )"
'+
@iguel C" Famos, page D7"
18
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #1*
@a @onserrate:s time, no one in the &rar9 cabildos remembered the process or
procedures"
''
189"
AosL Foche -/shQn IayodL. was ordained this year by Tran%uilina #almaseda -/mi
GalL., and was provided with multiple orishas"
')
?rudencia &lfaro -/lympia &lfaro:s
aunt, a famous priestess of Gemay9. was the ojigbona"
'6
&ccording to the Lucum
historian @iguel Famos, this is the first historical evidence that the royal3centered
Lucum practices were in place"
1899
;ecember '1, 18**( Femigio >errera, &deshina, was the first babalawo to pull down an
odu for the coming year" !i2 of his godchildren were with him when he established this
custom( @ar$ Parcia -Ifalola 4jiogbe @eji., /luguere -/ye$un @eji., 4ulogio
Fodrigue= -Tata Paytan /gundafun., Aose Carmen #atiste -/bewene., !alvador
@ontalvo -/$anran @eji., and #ernardine Fojo -Ireteuntendi."The very first letter of the
year, for 1*77, was /bara @eji" It came with irL"
1901
;ecember 1D, 1*71( 5icolas <alentn &ngarica was born on ;ecember 1D, 1*71" >e was
the child of Fosalina &ngarica and Fam,n Fubio" >e was born in a province of
@atan=as; it is said that his mother was of Lucum descent" #oth of Fosalina:s parents
came from the /y, region of &frica" Fosalina even retained the Lucum name given to
her at birth, &yobo -the princess was taught." The ancestry of his father is not $nown,
''
#ecause the &rar9 today use the system of composites we use -which some refer to as tonti, such as
/bara3tonti3/chL instead of /bara /chL., we can assume that by this time, in Cuba, orisha priests who
formerly used only a single3odu system had begun the conversion to composites" #ut note that this is an
unproven assumption, and not one that I would argue with any elder"
')
@iguel C" Famos, page D*"
'6
Famos, $alling to the Hea8ens, 13+"
1*
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #+7
however, it is claimed that he was not of Lucum descent" The parents were never married
and he retained his mother:s last name"
1902
Femigio >errera suffered multiple health problems and was unable to practice as an
active If9 priest"
;ecember '1, 1*7+( #ecause Femigio >errera suffered multiple health problems, his
godson 4ulogio Fodrigue= -Tata Paytan /gundafun. assumed the responsibility of
organi=ing the letter of the year" Cith him were the following babalawos( !ecundino
Crucet -/saloforbeyo., #ernabe @enocal -4jiogbe @eji., Euintin Lecon Parcia
-/turani$o., and Aose &suncion <illalonga -/gundamasa." /thers less noted also helped
in the organi=ation of the letter of the year at this point"
1904
@ara 4ugena ?Lre= was born this year"
'D
190"
In 1*7D Femigio >errera -&deshina. died and #ernardine Fojo became his successor for
organi=ing the letter of the year" nder the trusteeship of Tata Paytan he assumed all
responsibility for the letter of the year"
Aosefina &guirre -/shQn Pere. was ordained by Tran%uilina #almaseda -/mi !anj9." !he
received multiple orishas in her ordination"
'0
;ecember '1, 1*7D( ;ue to Femigio >errera:s death, #ernardine Fojo assumed all
responsibility for organi=ing the letter of the year" ;ue to age and declining health,
'D
'0
+7
4ulogio Fodrigue= -Tata Paytan /gundafun. stepped down as an active leader and
guided #ernardine Fojo from behind the scenes" Auan &ntonio &riosa -/gbetua., Tatica
-/bararete., Aoa%uin !ala=ar -/saloforbeyo., Cornelio <idal -/gbeshe., @iguel Bebles
-/di$a., and &urelio 4strada -4jiogbe @eji. were all major organi=ers for the ne2t few
years, under #ernardine Fojo:s leadership"
190!
4gb9do descendant and priestess of !hang,, initiated in 4gb9do regions, @a @onserrate
&pot, Pon=ale=, /ba Tero, dies" /ral history recounts that she was a centurion, well over
177 years old at her death"
'8
1910
In the year 1*17, month and date un$nown, the man who brought the mysteries of the
bat9 drums to Cuba, Mo Auan el Cojo, NyOnb, died"
'*

191
Auly 17, 1*1'( Belicita JBelaK @ende= was born in Loi=a &ldea, ?uerto Fico, on Auly 17,
1*1'"
)7
192
Auly +', 1*+'( @ara 4ugena ?Lre= was ordained on Auly +', 1*+', to /shQn" >er name
in ocha was /shQn 5i$L" !he was crowned by Luisa &rango, !hang, LadL" Timotea
&lbear was the oriatL" In this ordination, the iyaw, received all the following orishas(
4leggu9, /gQn, /chosi, /batal9, Gemay9, !hang,, and /shQn, her crowning orisha"
&ccording to the Lucum historian @iguel Famos, this is the earliest historical evidence
'8
@iguel C" Famos, page )'"
'*
Aohn @ason, page 1)"
)7
/n Bebruary +7, 1*66, Bela @ende= is ordained to !hang," !ee the 1*66 entry for more information"
+1
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #++
we have that the Lucum rituals used today were in place, as @ara received all the
orishas that a modern Lucum initiate would receive" T5ote( in my own lineage, it is
customary for /shQn to go in with &ganyQ" I need to rechec$ this information, however,
with my godfather"U /ther olorishas ordained during this time period also received
multiple orishas( &urelia @ora -/mi ;ina., #asilia C9rdenas @assip -/mi ;ina., and
5emensia 4spino=a -/shQn @iw9."
)1
192!
5ovember 17, 1*+0( /lympia &lfaro was born in >avana, Cuba, in the #uena <ista
section of @arianao"
)+
195
Bebruary, 1*'6( This is the month documented by @iguel C" Famos that Timotea &lbear
died"
)'
;ecember, 1*'6( In ;ecember of 1*'6, on the series of Cuban radio shows $nown as
$uatro $harlas &adiof6nicas -Bour Fadio Chats., Pustavo rrutia, a blac$ scholar, had
bat9 played for the public for the first time"
))
19"
&n Jethnographic conferenceK including a live performance of Lucum music was
performed in Cuba in 1*'D" ?ablo FochL played Iy9, &guedo @orales played It,tele, and
AesQs ?Lre= played /$,n$olo"
)6
199
)1
)+
Famos, $alling to the Hea8ens, 1"
)'
@iguel C" Famos, 6'"
))
Aohn @ason, page 18"
)6
!chweit=er, +8"
++
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #+'
@ay 1, 1*'*( &rmando Branci was ordained to Gemay9 by Aosefa @asa, #ab9 Bun$e, on
@ay 1, 1*'*" >is ojigbona was Clara /misaya" In ocha, his name was /mi ;ina" The
oriatL ;omingo &ye /ba was his ocha twin" 5ote that later, &rmando would receive
pinaldo from the hands of ;omingo &ye /ba" Tomas Fomero was the oriatL for these
ceremonies" &s of the writing of this timeline -today:s date is !eptember 0, +77D.
&rmando Branci is still alive, well, and wor$ing in >avana, Cuba"
1941
5icolas <alentn &ngarica was ordained by Loren=o /ctavio !am9" In ocha, his name
became /ba Tola" The month and day of this ordination are not $nown to this author" >e
studied to become an oriatL with his godfather until /badimeji:s death in 1*))"
1944
On Cuban Shores
Aanuary +0, 1*))( ?ancho @ora was initiated to If9 on Aanuary +0, 1*))" >is godfather in
If9 was babalawo Euintin Lecon"
)D
?ancho @ora:s If9 name became @Vr,tW -If9:s
$nowledge pushes aside difficulty."
/ctober, 1*))( Loren=o /ctavio !am9, /badimeji, dies"
)0
194"
)D
@arta @oreno <ega, page 1"
)0
?lease note that Loren=o /ctavio !am9, /badimeji, was the first male oriatL in Cuba, trained by Timotea
&lbear" ;uring his career, he trained only two other oriatLs( Tomas Fomero, 4win Leti -the second male
oriatL in Cuba., and 5icolas <alentin &ngarica, /ba Tola" Tomas Fomero:s training as an oriatL was the
more complete of the two, and Loren=o recogni=ed him as his only e%ual -beyond his mentor Timotea. on
the island" 5icolas was initiated in 1*)1, and had only studied for roughly +3' years with Loren=o before
his death in 1*))"
+'
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #+)
On (nite) States Shores
?ancho @ora, If9 @Vr,tW -If9:s $nowledge pushes aside difficulty., immigrated to the
nited !tates in 1*)D" >e settled in 5ew Gor$" >e established the first ilL ocha in the
city" >e was also the first person in the nited !tates to practice If9 divination"
)8
194!
On Cuban Shores
Auly, 1*)0( Aosefa >errera3?epa, 4shubi, died" !he was well into her 87s at her death"
1950
On Cuban Shores
5ovember 0, 1*67( /n 5ovember 0, 1*67, &rturo !ardiXa was initiated to Gemay9 by
Figoberto Jde la @adrugaK Fodrigue=" >is name in ocha became /lomidara" The
coronation was done in @adruga, Cuba"
1952
On Cuban Shores
Los @uXe%uitos de @atan=as, a fol$loric group, formed in 1*6+" They toured
internationally in the 1*87s, and in the nited !tates in 1*6+" In 1**D, they would release
a C; devoted to Lucum rhythms, +to +%an Echu3
-.
)8
@arta @oreno <ega, page 1"
)*
!chweit=er, 181"
+)
Cuban3born @ercedes 5obles moved to 5ew Gor$ in 1*6+"
67
195
!ecular performances of bat9 in Las <egas"
61
1955
On Cuban Shores
Bebruary +7, 1*66( Belicita JBelaK @ende= -born Auly 17, 1*1', in Loi=a &ldea, ?uerto
Fico. was crowned to !hang, on Bebruary +7, 1*66, in Cuba, by her godmother Fita
@iranda -4gun Lade." >er ojigbona was Auana 5uXe= -4gun Gemi." The oriatL for her
ceremonies was @a2imilian J/rda &yicoi"K >er name in ocha was !hang, Pumi" >er
godson, Luis Fivera -/$e 4we., became the santero responsible for creating the lineage
piraXa"
6+
There were probably no more than twenty3five santeros and babalawos in all of 5ew
Gor$ City in 1*66" &mong these were the babalawo ?ancho @ora"
6'
;ecember ), 1*66( Brancisco &guabella and Aulito Colla=o attended their first Lucum
ritual in 5ew Gor$ City" Cillie the #olitero
6)
-numbers runner. gave this celebration for
67
@arta @oreno <ega, page '"
61
!chweit=er, +8"
6+
Belicita @ende= herself was pimienta" In previous drafts of this timeline, I referred to Bela as the
godmother to the piraXa lineage; by that statement, I meant that she was the woman who crowned Luis
Fivera, the man responsible for the actual lineage of piraXa" It is Luis, I must emphasi=e, who was the first
JpiraXa"K
6'
@arta @oreno <ega, pages 13'"
6)
Cillie el #olitero was an &fro3?uerto Fican crowned by ?ancho @ora:s sister" Bor more information, see
the @arta @oreno <ega article referenced for this wor$"
+6
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #+D
!hang," It too$ place at 111
th
!treet and !t" 5icolas &venue in >arlem, at the ?alladium
night club"
66
195"
&ccording to @arta <ega, the first public orisha event occurred in this year" !he wrote,
JIn 1*6D, the &fro3Cuban percussionist @ongo !antamaria organi=ed the first public
performance of orisha music and dance at the ?alladium night club, in tribute to the
Goruba orisha !hang," Aulito Colla=o performed songs and dances for the orisha !hang,
and made a broad audience aware of this ancient &frican belief system"K
6D
1958
On Cuban Shores
Conjunto Bol$l,rico 5acional de Cuba was formed with AesQs ?Lre= and La=aro Fos as
two of its founding members"
60
@arch *, 1*68( @ercedes 5obles was crowned in Cuba on @arch *, 1*68, by @arina
/fQn Tola" The ojigbona was Caridad !aldivar"
68
;ecember '1, 1*68( The babalawos in Cuba brought down the odu /fQn /gbe in
osogbo; it was determined that /lo$un was ruling that year" &s eb,, the babalawos were
to perform /lo$un:s dance with mas$s, however, they were afraid" &lternate eb,s were
offered" /lo$un accepted"
1959
66
@arta @oreno <ega, page +"
6D
60
!chweit=er, +8"
68
#arcadi, interview"
+D
On Cuban Shores
Aanuary 1, 1*6*( Bidel Castro begins his rise to power in Cuba"
@ay *, 1*6*( In Cuba, #ernardine Fojo passed away"
&ugust 6, 1*6*( &sunci,n !errano, J!unta,K was initiated to /batal9 in Puanabacoa,
Cuba, on &ugust 6, 1*6*" >er name in ocha became /s9 &un$o" !ome credit her as being
the first ?uerto Fican initiated in Cuba" !ome also credit her as being the first to initiate
&merican blac$s and whites into the religion, and during her life, she wor$ed closely
with Calter Iing in the days of the Goruba Temple in 5ew Gor$ City" !he was born in the
year 1*7+, and died in 1*8D"
&ugust +D, 1*6*( Christopher /liana and Calter 4ugene Iing, two &frican &mericans
from 5ew Gor$, were initiated as ocha twins in Aovellanos, @atan=as ?rovince, Cuba"
Calter Iing was crowned to /batal9 and named /seijeman &defunmi, ma$ing him the
eldest and the first &frican &merican initiated in the Lucum system" Christopher /liana
was crowned to &ganyQ and named /bailumi, ma$ing him the second &frican &merican
initiated in the Lucum system"
6*
@arch *, 1*6*( /n @ercedes 5obles: -/ban Go$o. first ocha birthday, @arch *, 1*6*,
Aulito Colla=o played her tambor"
D7
19"0
6*
#abalorisha /balorun Temujin 4$unfeo, page 13+"
D7
+0
Aanuary, 1*D7( Calter Iing -/seijeman &defunmi., Christopher /liana -/bailumi.,
Clarence Fobbins -who later crowned 4leggu9., Foyal P" #rown, #onsu, and @ama
Ie$L -who later crowned /shQn., established the &frican Theological &rchministy, Inc"
D1
19"1
1*D1 -@onth and date un$nown to author.( @ercedes 5obles, /banjo$o, performed the
first ordination in the nited !tates, in 5ew Gor$ City" !he crowned Aulia Branco to
!hang," /reste #lanco was the oriatL for her ordination" The ceremonies occurred at D17
C 1'D
th
!t in @anhattan" @any came to $now this address as Jthe basementK and many
ordinations still occur there today -+77D."
D+
Goruba &ndabo, a rumba group, was formed from >avana doc$wor$ers in 1*D1" #at9
drummer ?ancho Euinto was a founding member"
D'
!ummer, 1*D1( ?ancho @ora held a religious drum feast, a bembL, for the orisha !hang,
in Casa Carmen, a dance hall in the #ron2, 5ew Gor$ City" Aulito Colla=o led the
drummers" They played bat9 abYrn$ZlO"
D)
Aohn @ason mista$enly attributes this as the
first bembL given in the nited !tates in his boo$ /rin /risa" @y own research has
shown the first bembL to be on ;ecember ), 1*66; it was given by Cillie The #olitero in
honor of !hang," !ee the ;ecember ), 1*66 entry for more information" &s a note to
myself( This demands more research"
19"
5icolas <alentn &ngarica, /batola, died in 1*D'"
D1
#abalorisha /balorun Temujin 4$unfeo, page +"
D+
#arcadi, interview"
D'
!chweit=er, 16*"
D)
Aohn @ason, page 1*"
+8
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #+*
19"4
On Cuban Shores
Auly +8, 1*D)( &ngel ?edro #olaXos Corrales -$nown as &ngel #olaXos., a fol$lore
musician and professor of fol$loric music in >avana, Cuba, was ordained to Gemay9 by
his godmother J#ellita"K
D6
In 1*D), babalawo ?ancho @ora held a public drum ceremony for the orishas that
attracted ',777 people" &mong those in attendance were Latin music performers Aulio
Colla=o and @achito"
DD
19"!
;ecember, 1*D0 -day un$nown to author.( &sunci,n !errano, J!unta,K initiated Fenaud
!immons -a"$"a" Teddy. in ;ecember of 1*D0" >e was the first &frican &merican oriatL
in 5ew Gor$ City; he was also an apu,n and drummer"
D0
19"8
Auly +6, 1*D8( /lympia &lfaro -born 5ovember 17, 1*+0 in >avana, Cuba. was crowned
by Carlos Parcia on Auly +6, 1*D8" !he was made to Gemay9, and her name in ocha
became /mi !any9" !he arrived in the ! in 1*D*, and was one of the more influential
apu,ns in the country"
D8
19!2
D6
!chweit=er, ')3'D"
DD
D0
#arcadi, interview"
D8
Famos, $alling to the Hea8ens, +"
+*
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #'7
&ugust, 1*0+( /n this date, Temujin 4$unfeo writes, JCalter Iing -/seijeman
&defunmi. was ordained into the If9 priesthood with the /luwa -Iing. of Ijeun at
&beo$uta, 5igeria"K
D*
19!4
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JChurch of the Lu$umi #abalu &ye was
founded in the state of Blorida by( Iyalosha Carmen ?la, #abalosha Faul Fodrigue=, /ba
4rnesto ?ichardo, #abalosha Bernando ?ichardo, &ttorney Pino 5egretti" C"L"#"&" was
created according to spiritual guidance and mandates of 4ncarnacio ;e La Caridad y
Fodrigue=, an /shQn spirit, and confirmations were established through divination with
the orishas"K
07
19!5
Bebruary 1', 1*06( In the nited !tates, the first set of &X9 bat9 drums was consecrated
in @iami, Blorida" #abalawo ?ipo ?eXa -/gbeyonu. consecrated them with 1D babalawos
and various olorishas present" 9:ila" was the name given to the drums; they were
named after ?ablo Foche, a famous Cuban bat9 drummer" 5ot long after this, ?eXa, his
sons &rturo and Feynaldo, and Aulito Colla=o were consecrated as om6 A;"
01
5ote that in /rin /risa, Aohn @ason writes, JNyOn -@ason:s preferred spelling
for &X9. was not to arrive until 1*0D when the babalawo /lVsun and omo NyOn, S?ipo:
?ina, of @iami, brought a consecrated set from Cuba" This set of NyOn first came to 5ew
Gor$ in 1*0D and was played in the >arlem home of the well $nown ritual singer and
Gemoja -@ason:s preferred spelling. ?riestess, /lympia &lfaro"K
0+
This is at odds with
what the Cuban3&merican scholar and /baH/riatL @iguel Famos has written regarding
D*
#abalorisha /balorun Temujin 4$unfeo, page +"
07
4rnesto ?ichardo, page 1"
01
Famos, $alling to the Hea8ens, )36"
0+
Aohn @ason, page 1*"
'7
the history of these drums in J$alling to the Hea8ens< A Tri%ute to the Late Lu:um
A"u6n 9lym"ia Alfaro) 9m Sany"K Thttp(HHilarioba"tripod"comHCallheaven"htmU" I invite
anyone with more information regarding these drums to write to me at
#!tuart@yers[gmail"com; however, I trust the scholarship of @iguel Famos over that of
Aohn @ason regarding this issue, as he was a personal friend of /lympia &lfaro until her
death recently, and she was intimately entwined in the history of this set of drums"
19!"
;ate un$nown, 1*0D( /$ilap9, the bat9 drums born in @iami on Bebruary 1', 1*06, were
played in 1*0D in 5ew Gor$ for the first time at the home of apu,n /lympia &lfara, in
>arlem" Aulito Colla=o played Iy9, ?ipo played It,tele, and ?ipo:s son played /$,n$olo"
&ntonio Pon=ale=, a priest and mount of Gemay9, danced Gemay9" 5ew Gor$ initiates
were finally presented to &X9"
0'
19!8
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JBirst three day conference with scholars,
Catholic and Lu$umi priests" !ponsored by Blorida 4ndowment for the >umanities, the
niversity of @iami, and ;r" /" F" ;athorne director of &frican &merican !tudies" The
first ordination to the patron orisha #abalu &ye was performed at /yo3Tunji &frican
<illage, founding of #abalu &ye site, and the introduction of the orisha /ba"K
0)
19!9&1982
0'
Aohn @ason, page 1*, and @iguel Famos, $alling to the Hea8ens, page 6"
0)
'1
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #'+
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( TThese years of the C"L"#"&" wereU J;edicated
to academic research and presentations, thesis assistance, and development of Church
structure"K
06
1980
On Cuban Shores
&pril( 17,777 Cubans go to the ?eruvian embassy in >avana demanding political asylum"
These refugees leaves from the @ariel port to the "!" This e2odus continues until
!eptember of this year, sending 1+6,777 refugees to ! shores"
#at9 masters /rlando J?untillaK Fios, Auan J4l 5egroK Faymat, and many others came to
both @iami and 5ew Gor$ as a result of the @ariel #oat Lift"
0D
'77,777 >aitians flee >aiti dictatorship and travel to Cuba" Cuba accepts all refugees"
These >aitians establish a form of <odu on the island, much as the @ariel boatlift helped
to establish greater numbers of santeros and babalawos in the !"
1981
Temujin 4$unfeo writes, J" " " while presenting a paper at a conference on /risa tradition
at the niversity of IlL IfL, 5igeria, T/seijeman &defunmi -Calter Iing.U was presented
to /$unade !ijuwade, /lubouse II, the /oni of IfL" The /oni ordered the chiefs of IfL to
perform the rites of coronation on him" >e was crowned, /ba 4funtola /seijeman
&delabu &defunmi I and given the ceremonial sword of office inscribed with the name of
06
0D
!chweit=er, )0"
'+
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #''
his Liege Lord the /oni, which grants him the right to spea$ in the name of the /oni" >e
is the first &frican &merican to receive such an honor"K
00
Throughout the early 87s, after arriving in 5ew Gor$ in 1*81, /rlando J?untillaK Fios
forms =ue8a >eneraci6n, a fol$loric group that presented bat9 rhythms in public
venues"
08
198
On Cuban Shores
La=ara Cuesta ma$es If9 with @iguel Bebles, /di$a" La=ara:s name in If9 becomes Iwori
#ofun" >e studies with @iguel until @iguel dies in ;ecember of 1*8D"
The first case in the nited !tates regarding animal sacrifice was litigated in 5ew Gor$"
The case referenced is ?irst $hurch of $hang6 83 American Society for the @re8ention of
$ruelty to Animals; 1') &";"+d *01, D+1 5"G"!"+d '6D" The judge ruled that there was no
legal protection for religious animal sacrifices, and they were prohibited under 5ew Gor$
state anti3cruelty law"
0*
198 * 1984
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( J4stablished the first academic and religious
group called Institute for 5ew Corld !tudies" The group ac%uired funding through the
Blorida 4ndowment for the >umanities, to carry out wor$shops on &fro3Caribbean
00
#abalorisha /balorun, page +"
08
!chweit=er, 181"
0*
&uthor n$nown, page 1"
''
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #')
religions for law enforcement, hospitals, mental health professionals, and cultural
organi=ations" Implemented the first local &#C news series on &fro3Cuban forms of
worship" /ur first film contract came through !oto ?roductions of California" This was a
?#! national documentary on @iami, which included !anteria" CL#& and ;ade County
!chool #oard representatives met, and established religious e2emptions for newly
ordained students, during a school calendar year"K
87
1985
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JCL#& developed and established the first
courses on &fro3Caribbean religions offered through @iami ;ade Community College"
The first boo$ titled /dQduwa, and a Lu$um ;ivination educational video, were
produced" niversal !tudios producer of the series @iami <ice contracted our
representatives and consultants for a pilot episode" &s did Tri3!tar motion pictures on a
film titled 7and on the Hand" CL#& intervention delivered victory on cruelty to animal
charges on thirteen If9 priests"K
81
198"
&sunci,n !errano, J!unta,K died in 1*8D in 5ew Gor$ City"
In the nited !tates, from the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( J& presentation for the
!tate of Blorida Bol$3life Bestival was done" @ental >ealth &ssociation of ;ade County
began as sponsors in conjunction with CL#& to provide accredited law enforcement
training" /ur first organi=ational committee of si2teen members was formed, for the
purpose of development and implementation of a community church, and educational
87
81
4rnesto ?ichardo, page +"
')
center" CL#& offered its first courses on #ata drums, divination, and Goruba history"
CL#& began its first general support campaign for the purpose of recruiting members
and officers among senior priests and priestesses of ;ade County"K
8+
On Cuban Shores
;ecember, 1*8D( @iguel Bebles, /di$a, dies" >e had been the elder If9 priest in Cuba
since the early 1*07:s"
;ecember, 1*8D( La $omision 9rganiAada is officially organi=ed and named" It:s
purpose is to ta$e out the letter of the year in honor of @iguel Bebles, /di$a, who died in
;ecember of this same year" 5ormally the ceremonies are held in a house in the
municipality of 17 de /ctubre" This organi=ation operates independently of the state and
has no official ties to Bidel Castro" !ince 1*8D, the Comisi,n /rgani=adora de la Letra
del &Xo @iguel Bebles ?adr,n has performing this ceremony for Cuba and the rest of the
world"
198!
On Cuban Shores
+f Ayer) +f Hoy) and +f Ma;ana (+f yesterday) +f today) and +f tomorro'! was formed
in 1*80" It:s original founders were Beliberto /:Barril, @anuel IbaXe=, Feinaldo #layo,
and others, with 4ustaguio ;elgado JTaticaK as its head" This group gathered with the
blessings of Bidel Castro, and participated in the welcoming of the /ni of IfL when he
visited Cuba in the late 1*87s" This organi=ation %uic$ly fell apart"
8+
'6
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #'D
Aune *, 1*80( The city council of >ialeah, Blorida, held an emergency public council
meeting regarding the opening of the Church of the Lucum of #abalu &ye" They adopted
resolution 803DD" In this resolution, it was written that, J" " " certain religions may propose
to engage in practices which are inconsistent with public morals, peace, or safety " " " the
City reiterates its commitment to a prohibition against any and all acts of any and all
religious groups which are inconsistent with public morals, peace, or safety"K Bollowing
resolution 803DD, they then enacted an emergency ordinance, /rdinance 803)7" This
ordinance was in reference to anyone who, Junnecessarily or cruelly " " " $ills any
animal"K
8'
@id3Auly, 1*80( Fesponding to the >ialeah city council:s re%uest for more information
regarding the Blorida !tate !tatutes regarding animal cruelty laws, the attorney general of
Blorida wrote bac$ to the city council, Jritual sacrifice of animals for purposes other than
food consumption Tare notU necessary " " " J Therefore, the attorney general reasoned,
religious practices of the Lucum faith were prohibited by state statute 8+8"1+"
8)
&ugust ), 1*80( &w, /sQn was formed, an egbe established by initiates of /shQn in
5GC" It is the first and oldest egbe orisha in the city"
86
!eptember, 1*80( The city council of >ialeah, Blorida, created the following statutes to
foil the Lucum practices of animal sacrifice( /rdinance 8036+, /rdinance 80301, and
/rdinance 8030+" & definition of sacrifice was provided in ordinance 8036+( Jto
unnecessarily $ill, torment, torture, or mutilate an animal in a public or private ritual or
ceremony not for the primary purpose of food consumption"K 42emptions were provided
for non3ritual situations" /rdinance 80301 declared, Jit shall be unlawful for any person,
persons, corporations, or association to sacrifice any animal within the corporate limits of
8'
Austice Iennedy, page 1"
8)
Austice Iennedy, pages 13+"
86
;ia=, conversation"
'D
the City of >ialeah, Blorida"K /rdinance 8030+ gave a definition of slaughter( Jthe $illing
of animals for food"K
8D
!eptemberH/ctober, 1*80( CL#& and 4rnesto ?ichardo filed suit in the nited !tates
;istrict Court, !outhern Blorida ;istrict" >ialeah, the mayor, and individuals of the city
council were named as defendants"
80
In the nited !tates, from the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JCL#& celebrated its pre3
opening as an established Lu$um community church" & general educational curriculum
was implements" &fter several months of political controversy, the order to Blorida ?ower
\ Light, and ;epartment of Cater and !ewer to stop services, came from city officials"
CL#& had its victory and officially opened as the first Lu$um Church in the nited
!tates" The controversy, heated by the enactment of three city ordinances banning ritual
animal sacrifices, caused CL#& to sue the City of >ialeah claiming the ordinances
violated Birst &mendment rights" 5ational and international media too$ intense interest
on this landmar$ case" ;uring the ?apal visit to @iami, &#C world news presented
CL#& as the authentic competitor of the Catholic Church, among >ispanics" The
editorial board of the @iami >erald published its first support on behalf of CL#&
pertaining to its legal rights"K
88
1988
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JCL#& relocated to a storefront across from
>ialeah City >all" ?ending litigation in Bederal Court, this location was vandali=ed
numerous times" Law enforcement entered Church premises daily" @embers were
stopped leaving the Church" Christian denominations protested fre%uently, and its
8D
Austice Iennedy, page +"
80
Austice Iennedy, page +"
88
'0
activists implemented in a hate campaign, joined by several animal rights
organi=ations"K
8*
/lympia &lfaro and @iguel C" Famos appeared in two stage productions in @iami,
Blorida( Bemilere) ?iesta a los 9rishas and +%olorun) @araiso Coru%a" They were the
apu,ns for these two productions"
*7
On Cuban Shores
;ecember '1, 1*88( The /rgani=ing Commission meets in >avana, Cuba, to determine
the letter of the year for 1*8*"
1989
On Cuban Shores
Aanuary 1, 1*8*( The /rgani=ing Commission declares the odu 4jiogbe @eji to be the
letter of the year for 1*8*"
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JAoined by the support of &merican Civil
Liberties nion, and &ttorney Aorge ;uarte, CL#& went to trial at the ! Bederal
;istrict Court" In support of city interests &ttorney @ichael A" 5eimand, office of the
&ttorney Peneral, for the !tate of Blorida, joined with &micus Curiae" Bollowed in
support as witnesses by @ichael Bo2 and @ar$ ?aulhus, from the nited !tates >umane
!ociety"K
*1
8*
*7
*1
4rnesto ?ichardo, page '"
'8
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #'*
1990
On Cuban Shores
!ometime in the 1**7s, Goruba Cultural &ssociation is born from the ashes of +f Ayer)
+f Hoy) and +f Ma;ana"
>avana, Cuba, bat9 drummer ?ancho Euinto was interviewed for a documentary El @as
de los 9richas" Clips of ?ancho:s drumming and dancing were included, as was the group
Goruba &ndabo, whose performances were featured in the film"
*+
1992
On Cuban Shores
Goruba &ndabo collaborates with Aane #unnett, a Canadian sa2ophonist, on her C;
S"irits of Ha8ana"
*'
199
Christopher /liana, /bailumi, dies in 1**' in 5ew Gor$ city"
#lac$mind #oo$ #outi%ue releases El @as de los 9richas in #roo$lyn"
*)
Aune 11, 1**'( 4rnesto ?ichardo, on his website, wrote, Jnited !tates !upreme Court in
a unanimous landmar$ ruling overturned the lower courts, in favor of CL#&" The
decision established that >ialeah laws were unconstitutional, and religious animal
*+
!chweit=er, 16*"
*'
!chweit=er, 16*"
*)
!chweit=er, 16*"
'*
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #)7
sacrifices of the Lu$um faith are constitutionally protected" This ruling is applicable in
all !tates" Bor research purposes, net search under JChurch of the Lu$um of #abalu &yeK
or J&nimal !acrifice"K There are many sites available that present the documentation" In a
settlement agreement, >ialeah agreed to pay appro2imately five hundred thousand dollars
for CL#& legal fees" CL#& never sued for compensation on damages" & one dollar
compensation was paid to CL#& by acting @ayor Aulio @artine= as a symbol of
reconciliation" 5ationwide all pending cruelty to animal cases related to our faith were
dismissed"K
*6
1994
On Cuban Shores
;ecember '1, 1**)( The /rgani=ing Commission meets in >avana, Cuba, to determine
the letter of the year for 1**6"
1995
On Cuban Shores
Aanuary 1, 1**6( The /rgani=ing Commission declares 4jiogbe @eji to be the letter of
the year for 1**6"
;ecember '1, 1**6( The /rgani=ing Commission meets in >avana, Cuba, to determine
the letter of the year for 1**D"
*6
)7
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JThe first historic group of forty senior If9,
/riate, Iyalosha, #abalosha, priests and priestesses became officially certified as clergy
members of the Lu$umiH&yoba religion through CL#&"K
*D
199"
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JCL#& established the first Lu$umi radio
program, with wee$ly transmissions for adherents in Cuba, through La <o= ;el Cid"K
*0
$alleD6n de los &um%eros is released by Goruba &ndabo"
*8
Aanuary 1, 1**D( The /rgani=ing Commission declares 4jiogbe @eji to, again, be the
letter ruling the year"
;ecember '1, 1**D( The /rgani=ing Commission meets in >avana, Cuba, to determine
the letter of the year for 1**0"
199! * 1998
Brom the C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***( JCL#& relocated to one bloc$ south of >ialeah
City >all" ?erformed our first Lu$um marriages in @iami and Cashington; newborn
naming ceremony, and reestablished an e2tensive educational and cultural curriculum"
CL#& has become the only established Lu$um Church in the !, with the largest
membership of adherents, priests, and priestesses of all ran$s, in this hemisphere"
?erformed several religious services for adherents in the Bederal Correctional institution"
4stablished our internet site"K
**
199!
*D
*0
*8
!chweit=er, 16*"
**
)1
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #)+
Aanuary 1, 1**0( The /rgani=ing Commission declares /d Trupon to the letter of the
year for 1**0"
$hamalongo is released by Aane #unnett, a Canadian sa2ophonist" ?ancho Euinto
appears in her recordings"
177
;ecember '1, 1**0( The /rgani=ing Commission meets in >avana, Cuba, to determine
the letter of the year for 1**8" The If9 priests Bran$ Cabrera, La=aro Cuesta, ;avid
Cedron, Faul !otero, Faul ;omingue=, Cesar #ague=, Ficardo Puerra and others
officiated at the ceremony"
1998
Aanuary 1, 1**8( The /rgani=ing Commission declares 4jiogbe @eji to the letter of the
year for 1**8" /batal9 ruled, accompanied by Gemay9" The flag was white with blue
borders"
Aanuary( ?apal visit to Cuba" Aaime /rtega, the cardinal of >avana refuses to allow a
meeting between the ?ope and &fro Cuban religious representatives" @eetings are
arranged with ?rotestants and Aews"
?ancho Euinto records his own album, En el Solar la $ue8a del Humo"
171
1999
The Goruba Cultural &ssociation invites the /rgani=ing Commission to join its ran$s"
The /rgani=ing Commission declines because the administration -the government. and
not the babalawos would be in control of the organi=ation"
177
!chweit=er, 16*"
171
!chweit=er, 16*"
)+
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #)'
?ancho Euinto records with /mar !osa on S"irit of &oots and 7em%6n"
17+
&bbilona, a bat9 ensemble from >avana, Cuba, begins releasing C;s of bat9 music" /ver
time, they come to release a total of 1D C;s"
17'
2000
?ancho Euinto records again with Canadian sa2ophonist Aane #ennett in &itma E Soul"
17)
;ecember '1, +777( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation meets to determine the letter of the
year for +771" It was pulled at the following address( ?rado 5o" D16, entre @onte y
;ragones, @unicipio >abana <ieja"
/lympia &lfaro appears in the >#/ movie ?or Lo8e or $ountry< The Arturo Sando8al
Story"
176
Auly +777( Auan Parcia Bern9nde= replaced Teresa Pon=9le= as the director of Conjunto
Bol$l,rico 5acional" >e served from Auly +777 until &pril +77)"
2001
Aanuary 1, +771( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation announces that the letter of the year for
+771 is Iroso /gbe" The witnesses were /gbe /chL and /chL #ile" The prophesy was(
IrL ari$u oyale lese /runmila -& blessing of heath given to us by /runmila." Gemay9
ruled, accompanied by 4leggu9" The flag was blue with red and white trimming"
?ancho Euinto records with the ?uente #rothers in Morum%a $u%ana"
17D
17+
!chweit=er, 16*"
17'
!chweit=er, 18+"
17)
!chweit=er, 16*"
176
17D
!chweit=er, 16*"
)'
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #))
!eptember 11, +771( La=aro Fos was nominated for the #est Bol$ &lbum in the Latin
Prammy &wards"
;ecember '1, +771( The /rgani=ing Commission of the Letter of the Gear of @iguel
Bebles ?adr,n pulled down the letter of the year for +77+" &s they have done since the
year 1*8D, for Cuba and the world in general" in the temple3house located in &v" 17 de
/ctubre ] 167* between Aosefina and Pertrudis, <bora, @unicipio 17 de /ctubre,
>abana City, Cuba" The ceremony was presided by the If9 priest Puillermo ;iago J/gbe
CeXeK"
;ecember '1, +771( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation met to pull the letter for the year
+77+" It was pulled at the following address( ?rado 5o" D16, entre @onte y ;ragones,
@unicipio >abana <ieja"
2002
Aanuary 1, +77+( The /rgani=ing Commission determined /gbe Gono to be the odu
ruling +77+" !hang, governed, accompanied by Gemay9" The flag was red with blue
borders"
Aanuary 1, +77+( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation determined /chL @eji was the letter of
the year for +77+" ?rophecy( irL ari$Q elese /shQn" Gemaya governed, accompanied by
/rQnmila" The flag was blue with a green border"
@arch 6, +77+( Fenaud !immons, the first &frican3&merican oriatL in 5ew Gor$ City,
passed away on @arch 6, +77+"
170
Auly 1D, +77+( La=aro Fos receives the Bernando /rti= pri=e in Cuba for his musical
accomplishments"
170
#arcadi, interview"
))
;ecember '1, +77+( /n ;ecember '1, +77+, the Goruba Cultural &ssociation met to
determine the letter of the year for +77'" It was pulled at the following address( ?rado
5o" D16, entre @onte y ;ragones, @unicipio >abana <ieja"
;ecember '1, +77+( /n ;ecember '1, +77+, the /rgani=ing Commission gathered to
determine the letter of the year for +77', with 810 priests of If9 met, in representation of
the immense majority of the branches of families in Cuba+ in addition counting on the
endorsement of priests of If9 in the following countries( #ra=il, #elgium, Colombia,
Costa Fica, !pain, nited !tates, @e2ico, Italy, 4ngland, ?anama, ?uerto Fico, and
<ene=uela, in the house temple located in &venue Tenth of /ctober ]167* between
Aosefina and Pertrudis, <iper, municipality( Tenth of /ctober, >avana City, Cuba" The
ceremony was presided over by the If9 priest Puillermo ;iago, J/gbe CeXe"K
200
Aanuary 1, +77'( /n Aanuary 1, +77', the Goruba Cultural &ssociation announced the
letter /$ana /chL was the odu for the year" The prophecy( irL ari$Q yale tesi elese
/rQnmila -firm luc$ and health at the feet of /rQnmila." /batal9 ruled, accompanied by
/y9" The flag was white with stripes of color" The eb, was( /ne rooster, two pigeons,
and two hens -to /batal9 and /y9., hair from one:s head, used rope, stripes of colors,
trash from one:s house, dirt from a road, a read parrot feather, sand from a river,
raspadura de las herramientas de /gQn, ewe de /sain, rum, red palm oil, smo$ed fish and
juta, toasted corn, a candle, a coconut, and opolopowo"
?ancho Euinto records with Aane #ennett again( $u%an 9dyssey"
178
Aanuary 1, +77'( The /rgani=ing Commission announced that /gund9 /gbe was the odu
ruling +77'" The prophecy was( /sogbo I$Q intor arojL -;eath due to complaints,
debates, and offenses. /l,fin /nire -/l,fin blesses and defends." The eb, was an
178
!chweit=er, 16*"
)6
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #)D
offering to 4shu, ' balls of coo$ed cornmeal with canary seeds" 4leggu9 ruled the year,
accompanied by /shQn" The flag was half white and half blac$ with yellow borders"
Aune 6, +77'( #aldomero Ficardo CanL P,me=, a senior member of Los @uXe%uitos de
@atan=as and initiate of !hang,, died in the ?rovincial >ospital of @atan=as" >e was 6)
years old"
5ovember +77'( The nited !tates begins denying entrance to all Cuban musical groups"
&ll visas for performance artists are systematically denied" The #ush administration
%uoted Jsecurity concernsK as the reason for all denials"
;ecember '1, +77'( /rgani=ing Commission of the Letter of the Gear of @iguel Bebles
?adr,n pulled down the letter of the year for +77), as they have done since the year 1*8D,
for Cuba and the world in general" in the temple3house located in &v" 17 de /ctubre ]
167* between Aosefina and Pertrudis, <bora, @unicipio 17 de /ctubre, >abana City,
Cuba" The ceremony was presided by the If9 priest Puillermo ;iago J/gbe CeXeK" The
youngest priest drew the letter, counting with the presence of a great number of national
and international renown and capable If9 priests, whose analysis and 8aluations are
summariAed in the orientations that the follo'ing document eF"oses3
;ecember '1, +77'( The Goruba Cultural !ociety of Cuba met to determine the letter of
the year for +77)"
2004
Aanuary 1, +77)( The /rgani=ing Commission declares #ab9 4jiogbe @eji to be the
ruling letter of the year for +77)" ?rophecy( IrL /m9 &laye mbelaye lowo /lo$un(
#lessing of intelligence for the incapable that lives of richness" /batal9 reigned,
accompanied by /shQn" The flag was Chite with yellow border or trimming" This
information was not readily available to the world, as it was bloc$ed by Bidel Castro and
the GC&
)D
Aanuary 1, +77)( The Goruba Cultural !ociety of Cuba determines the letter of the year to
be /gund9 @eji" Bor its part, the !ociedad draw /gunda @eyi with the prophecy IrL
&ri$Q oyale tesi lese /rQnmila -a firm blessing of good health because of /rQnmila. and
for them /shQn rules accompanied by /batal9" Their flag was yellow with a white
border"
Aanuary +, +77)( La !ociedad Cultural Goruba de Cuba gave its press conference to
release the letter of the year" The /rgani=ing Commission was not able to release its letter
of the year, due to financial and state3imposed constraints, until Aanuary D, +77)"
Aanuary 11, +77)( The /rgani=ing Commission held a tambor in honor of the letter of the
year, in honor of the reigning /rishas at the Temple3>ouse at Calle '* ] *718, between
*7 and *+, @arianao ->ouse of #ernardo Fojas."
&pril, +77)( @anoclo @iller replaced Auan Parcia Bern9nde= as the director of Conjunto
Bol$l,rico 5acional"
@ay +1, +77)( The first ocha was crowned in Calhoun, Peorgia by &jesola &ganyQ and
/ba &la 4fun -4duardo Cru=.; 5elson J?upiK Gemay9 was the oriatL" The person
crowned was @ilocha -real name. /ni Gemay9"
17*
;ecember '1, +77)( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation met to determine the letter of the
year for +776"
;ecember '1, +77)( The /rgani=ing Commission met to determine the letter of the year
for +776"
2005
17*
#arcadi, interview"
)0
Aanuary 1, +776( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation declares the odu Irosun @eji to be the
letter ruling +776" The prophesy was( Ire ari$Q yale elese /rQnmila" They declared
/batal9 as ruler, accompanied by /shQn" The flag was white with a yellow triangle in the
center"
Aanuary 1, +776( The /rgani=ing Commission determined the letter of the year to be
/fQn Tempola -/fQn /tura., sometimes called J/fQn calls the corojo"K The prophecy
was( Ire ai$u lowo !hango -Pood healthHlong life at the hands of !hang,." !hang, ruled
the year +776, accompanied by /y9" The flag for the year was completely red" The eb,
was( Chic$en for 4legu9, palm oil, cocoa butter, lard Tthat is, three $inds of oilU; the spine
of a fish with head and tail attached, worn clothes, salt, and the other ingredients -the eb,
goes to the bush."
Auly 1D, +776( The first tambor fundamiento in Peorgia state was played by Tomas
&ntonio #iggieri de #arcadi -/t9 /mi. for the /batal9 of 4duardo Cru= -/ba &la 4fun."
&Xa was played by Auan Jel negroK and danced by JIi$iK /batal9, both from Blorida"
The a$pon who sang was &nibal Tejada J!corpionK -/bairawo."
117
;ecember '1, +776( The Goruba Cultural &ssociation met on this date to determine the
letter of the year for +77D"
;ecember '1, +776( The /rgani=ing Commission met on ;ecember '1, +776, to
determine the letter of the year for +77D"
200"
Aanuary 1, +77D( The sign announced as ruling +77D was announced by Goruba Cultural
&ssociation to be /ye$un /bara" ?rophecy was irL ari$Q lowo /rQnmila -/rQnmila gives
good health." The governing orisha was determined to be /gQn, and he was accompanied
by /shQn" The flag is a dar$ purple with a yellow border" The eb, that was mar$ed was(
117
#arcadi, interview"
)8
A Timeline of Lucum History; Author Stuart Myers/Egun Lade (chni Lele!; "age #)*
1 rooster, + pigeons, a horse bit, water from the ocean, water from the river, trap, arrow,
raw corn, grass scrapings off the horse:s harness, rum, 1 candle, + dry coconuts, palm oil,
cocoa butter, honey, cascarilla, smo$ed fish and juta"
Aanuary 1, +77D( The /rgani=ing Commission determined the letter of the year to be
/gund9 Irete" The prophesy( /sogbo arun otorunwa -;iseases that appear at the moment
by un$nown, une2pected causes. /rQnla onire" /batal9 ruled, accompanied by /shQn"
The flag was white with its borders in green" The eb,( ' chic$ens, ' nails, a flowerpot, 0
coconuts, 0 $epis -hats., and other ingredients, all for 4shu" Fogate to /rQnmila with +
painted coconuts"
Bebruary ), +77D( 5ina ?Lre=, Igbn IoladL, died"
&ugust 11, +77D( &lberto Fomero ;a=, singer with los @uXe%uitos, died of cancer at 68
years of age"
)*
!ources Cited(
&uthor n$nown" JIntroduction to !anteria and &nimal !acrifice"K Thttp(HHwww"animal3
law"orgHsacrificeHsacrfe"htmU" &ugust 17, +77D" ?age 1"
#abalorisha /balorun Temujin 4$unfeo" JChen was &borisha, /risha Corship, Birst
?racticed by &frican &mericans in the nited !tates^K Thttp(HHwww"church3of3the3
lu$umi"orgHtemujinhist"htmU" 5ovember 11, +77+"
@ason, Aohn" 1**+" /rin /risa( !ongs for !elected >eads" 5ew Gor$( Goruba
Theological &rchministry"
Austice Iennedy" JChurch of the Lucum #abalu &ye, Inc" v" City of >ialeah !upreme
Court of the nited !tates"K
Thttp(HHwww"law"um$c"eduHfacultyHprojectsHftrialsHconlawHlu$umi"htmlU" Aanuary +, +776"
@arta @orena <ega" JThe Goruba /risha Tradition Comes to 5ew Gor$ City"K U
http(HHwww"findarticles"comHpHarticlesHmi_m+8'8His_n+_v+*Hai_106')00'HprintU"
!eptember +', +77D"
@iguel C" Famos" JLa divisi,n de la >abana( Territorial Conflict and Cultural
>egemony in the Bollowers of /yo Lu$um Feligion, 1867s 1 1*+7s"K T?roject @use"
http(HHmuse"jhu"eduU" 18 Bebruary +77)"
@iguel C" Famos" J$alling to the Hea8ens< A Tri%ute to the Late Lu:um A"u6n
9lym"ia Alfaro) 9m Sany"K Thttp(HHilarioba"tripod"comHCallheaven"htmU" '7 &ugust
+77D"
/ba 4rnesto ?ichardo" J>istory( C"L"#"&" Fesume 1*0) 1 1***"K Thttp(HHwww"church3of3
the3lu$umi"orgHhistory"htmlU" 5ovember 11, +77+"
67
#abalorisha Tomas &ntonio #iggieri de #arcadi -/t9 /mi., interview by the author,
Cinter ?ar$, Blorida, +77D"
Ienneth Peorge !chweit=er" J&fro3Cuban #at9 ;rum &esthetics( ;eveloping Individual
and Proup Techni%ue, !ound, and Identity"K ?h; dissertation, niversity of @aryland,
College ?ar$, +77'"
/lorisha Calvin A" ;ia= -/shQn 5iye., conversation with the author, &ugust '7, 1*DD"
&froCubaCeb" JAfro $u%an History< A Timeline"K
Thttp(HHwww"afrocubaweb"comHhistory"htmU" !eptember ', +77D"
61

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