This article examines the cultural-political activity of African-origin religious organizations in
Cuba, Cabildos, which have been forming since the 1800s. These organizations, led by
community leaders and religious figures, were able to maneuver between racist colonial policies that sought to folklorize and commercialize Yoruba religious traditions, while simultaneously using these public performances to maintain and spread their religious practices.
The author traces the transformation of these performances into state-sponsored folklorization,
where Cabildos adapted their customs to be showcased in cultural events and performances,
allowing for their religious rituals to be practiced publicly in a secular context. Despite this
folklorization, the spiritual and religious essence of these traditions remained intact, helping the
Cabildos resist complete assimilation into state control. The author argues that these
performances served as counter-hegemonic narratives, resisting the structural racism that had
historically marginalized African-descended people in Cuba (Concha-Holmes, 2013, 491).
In contrast, the Karen bamboo and don dances, as described by Heather MacLachlan (2014),
underwent a different transformation within the Karen diaspora communities. Originally
associated with religious and funeral rituals, these dances have lost much of their original
religious meaning over time. In the diaspora, particularly among Karen youth in Fort Wayne,
Indiana, these dances are now primarily used to teach and reinforce ethnic identity rather than
religious devotion. As MacLachlan notes, the bamboo dance, once performed in connection with funeral rites, has become a symbol of Karen-ness, a tool for preserving cultural identity among young Karen refugees who may never have seen their homeland (MacLachlan, 2014)
