The Haitian presence in Cuba

Franco-Haitian cultural influences in Cuba date back over two centuries, beginning with the "refugees" from the Haitian Revolution who fled to eastern Cuba in the early years of the 19th century. However, a much larger wave of Haitian migrants arrived in the first decades of the 20th century to fill labor shortages on sugar plantations, and most stayed. Anthropologist Grete Viddal joins Rebecca for an in-depth conversation on this history, the musical and religious practices migrants brought with them (like Vodou), and the ways Cuban descendants of Haitian migrants carry on their traditions today.

Songs played:
Camagüey, Tumba Francesa La Caridad
Yamvalú, Ballet Folklórico Cutumba
Haiti Namizé, Grupo Baraguá
Neg Anwo, The Creole Choir of Cuba
Se Lavi, The Creole Choir of Cuba
Gagá, Ballet Folklórico Cutumba