After the voyages of Columbus, subsequent expeditions began to bring waves of Arabs to the Americas. They had been conquered; they were fleeing from intolerance and the Inquisition. Not only did Arabs arrive in Havana during the 16th, and especially the 17th centuries, but they also brought with them a reflection of their culture, which had penetrated the natives of Andalucia and Córdoba, whose spirit is strongly felt in historic Old Havana. One has only to observe the reconstructed palaces, their courtyards, balconies, grounds; in sum, their architecture. That also goes for the other parts of Cuba. Something that is not so well known, if they were from Northern Africa — Senegal, Mali, Gambia and Guinea — the slaves brought to the island from the earliest times of the Spanish conquest, also brought with them the stamp of Islam. For that reason, we shouldn't be surprised that Arab words appear in their songs and religious rituals.
Here we go again... |