Abakuá folklore in Trillo Park, Cayo Hueso neighborhood, Havana
Item
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Title
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Abakuá folklore in Trillo Park, Cayo Hueso neighborhood, Havana
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Description
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This performance by members of Oba Ilú was part of a celebration of the restoration of a statue of General Quintín Banderas (c. 1846-1906), which stands in Trillo Park in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Havana. The statue was originally erected in 1921 by the Afrocuban professional association, Club Atenas. Banderas had been one of the black generals of the Wars for Independence in Cuba. Afterwards, he became an advocate for political reform and participated in a liberal uprising against the corrupt government of Tomás Estrada Palma. He was killed on August 23, 1906 by government-backed militias during the uprising. The restoration of the statue acknowledges the contribution of black commanders and troops to the liberation of Cuba from colonial Spanish rule.
