Rara Bands in Haiti
Good Friday in Haiti is a day of dancing in the streets for those who practice Voodoo. While it is not clear why there is such joy on the day Christians set aside to remember the crucifixion of Christ, it sometimes seems that voodooists are celebrating Satan’s supposed victory over Christ on the cross.
These street celebrations are led by a “Rara” band. “Originating in Haïti, rara is a form of festival music used for street processions, typically during Easter Week. The music centers on a set of cylindrical bamboo trumpets called vaksen (which may also be made of metal pipes), but also features drums, maracas, güiras or güiros (a percussion instrument), and metal bells, as well as sometimes also cylindrical metal trumpets which are made from recycled metal, often coffee cans.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rara)
To see a 3 minute youtube on Rara you can check out: http://festivalfilmjakmel.com/raymond/?p=4
As a musician, I find Rara music very repetitive with a strong beat. There is no melody or words and it seems to mesmerize those who are dancing.
Some Haitians say that a man and his wife can get so caught up in Rara, that they may not see each other until the next day. Many in the Rara bands use the revelry to drink home-made boot-leg liquor called “Clarin”, and so don’t remember much of what they did while dancing in the streets.
While dancing in Rara bands can provide temporary relief from the daily cares that seem overwhelming, Haitians who have trusted in Christ realize that only the resurrected Jesus can change the hearts of people in Haiti and help their country find true peace.
However, by Easter morning all the Rara bands are done and Christians have a chance to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ in peace, not his death.
No comments:
Post a Comment