Yemayá danced by Raíces Profundas @ El Palenque - Havana, Cuba

We filmed this in January 2007 while being filmed ourselves for a documentary on Cubans in New Zealand. Rafael used to be a member of Raíces Profundas (Deep Roots), one of the first professional Afro-Cuban dance companies in Cuba, for two years (2000-2002) and this is where he received his Yorùbá/Afro-Cuban dance training. This video is one of the images we are using for Rafael's new band MafereFUN Yemayá - which is Yorùbá, a Nigerian language and religion bought to Cuban with the slaves, for Praise to my ancestor Yemayá - the Mother of all Mothers and the Sea. The band pays tribute to Rafael's Afro-Cuban heritage and is dedicated to all mothers, but especially to his own mother who died in Cuba in March this year. Featuring Andre Paris on saxophone, Ben Hunt on trumpet, Miguel Arñedo-Gomez on congas, Miles Crayford on keyboard, Patrick Bleakley on bass and Rafael Ferrer Noel on timbales/vocals MafereFUN Yemayá plays Afro-Cuban Jazz and Salsa, and will be debuting this Sunday, Mother's Day @ The Southern Cross Tavern - 9 May 2010. For more information on Rafael and the band please visit www.cubanfusion.co.nz

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Afro-Cuban Contemporary
• Yoruba
• Marferefun Yemaya
• CubanFusion
• Salsa