Customer Reviews

Orin Orisa: Songs for Selected Heads

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This is a huge, impressive book that provides a wealth of knowledge most of which you can't find in print in English anywhere else. It has background on Yoruba religion and Santeria, bata drumming in Cuba and America, and translations of many many songs. Also photos, etc. Some people will argue with some of the translations, but nobody can say this book doesn't add enormously to what's published in English on what has been an esoteric & oral tradition.

finally a clear, cohesive compendium to the songs and chants of the Orisha tradition and well-researched vital information on the tradition of the sacred bata drums / for someone like myself, an Ocha initiate who lives in Asia, thousands of miles from Africa, Cuba and the US, this is a resource godsend --

To anyone that practices within the Ifa'Orisa community, this book is a jewel. It is not often that one stumbles upon a book rich with knowledge & standing strong in it's research & presentation. Mr. Mason has taken his years of practice & translated these beautiful songs to call the Orisa. I can only say that this is probably one of the BEST books I have ever seen on the Orisa tradition! Mr. Mason is to be thanked time & time again for his amazing contribution of this community! ASE!

This is a wonderful work, well researched, full of interesting comments and done with extreme care.

I think this is the best work about afrocuban roots and african music in Cuba.

The biggest problem with the song translations here is that he drastically changed the words to many of the songs to fit his translations, so they aren't actually translations of our songs. Very sloppy scholarship. It would have been better if he had translated less songs more accurately. So if you want to learn the meaning to the songs we actually sing, you will still have to translate them yourself or learn their meanings from an elder. Pity, as it would have been a huge book if Mason had been more careful with his translations.