The Music of Santeria: Traditional Rhythms of the Bata Drums (Performance in World Music Series, No. 5)

Paperback: 128 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.42 x 9.25 x 7.02

Publisher: White Cliffs Media Co; Book & Cd edition (November 1999)

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See audio cassette: Music of Santeria: The Oru Del Igbodu

Cuban drummers love this book, August 8, 2002

Reviewer: sebastiand from NY, USA

Having been a student of Amira's, and having travelled to Cuba several times, I know a little about what this book means for people who study Afro-Cuban sacred rhythms. Cornelius is also a drummer and ethnomusicologist. This book is accurate, interesting, and extremely informative. But it is a shame that Amazon doesn't carry the CD that goes with this book--it is a clearly laid out study of the most important rhythms. I have known some drummers who grew up playing in Havana to get excited when they heard this recording, and ask to play specific sections over again to study them in detail. This book is satisfying to all levels--from the beginner who wants to start learning a little about the rhythms, to the advanced scholar who is ready to dive into the details. The authors are completely trustworthy sources of information and this is a work of devotion and years of study.

"A fine text, clear and direct so that all may comprehend." -- Dr. Robert Farris Thompson, Yale University

"A good introduction to batá drumming." -- The Beat magazine

"Details about construction, tuning, rhythms and symbolism are explained."
-- Come-All-Ye review journal