Cuban dance troupe thrills audience at DuBois

The cultural enthusiasm of Ibbu Okun, a dance troupe from Havana, Cuba, was so captivating that members of the audience joined the dancers on the stage last night for the performance of their final song, "El Comentario." More than 200 members of the University community and the city's African American and Puerto Rican communities gathered last night at DuBois College House to see Ibbu Okun in their U.S. debut tour. Elizabeth Sayre, an administrative assistant in the Graduate School of Education, was responsible for bringing the group to the University. Sponsored by the Music Department and 12 residential, student and academic groups, the performance had interdisciplinary appeal. Ibbu Okun -- or River and Sea -- is an eight-person all-female Afro-Cuban folkloric group from Cuba. They performed a repertoire of Afro-Cuban music and dance traditions. The music of Ibbu Okun originated in Nigeria centuries ago and has survived slavery in Cuba, according to Sayre. The women of Ibbu Okun played the Bata, a family of three double-headed drums which traditionally played by men, she added. Sayre said the group is considered controversial by many people who practice the traditional Caban Santeria religion. Ibbu Okun also performed the Orisha dance -- a sequence of dances that focuses on eight different Orisha characters. This dance is part of the cultural traditions of the Santeria religion. According to this belief system, which is based on different gods, each Orisha stands for a different characteristic in humans or nature. The Orisha dance began with a three-drum salute to the Eleggua, Ogun and Ochosi characters. Eleggua, a comical trickster dressed in red and black, engaged the audience. Each segment was preceded by an introduction from the drummers. As the dance sequence continued, each character approached the dance floor following an announcement by the singers. Babaluaye, the crippled healer of the Santeria religion, captivated the audience in the final segment of the Orisha dance. Ibbu Okun's performance also invited audience participation. In an expression of Afro-Cuban culture, members of the audience responded to traditional Santeria calls and joined the dancers on stage in their finale. Last night's show was the kick-off event for Ibbu Okun's week-long performance events that will take place throughout the city.

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