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Abakuá
The African Carabalí people from the Calabar coast in the south of Nigeria, from which thousands of slaves departed toward the end of the 18th Century and during the first half of the 19th Century, were called abakuá in Cuba. They brought with them their secret fraternal societies, especially one which worshipped the leopard. The abakuá societies (also called ñañigos), are the antecedent of numerous customs and rituals that are very widespread in Cuba, where they deeply mark the culture. These are based on the mutual assistance among members.
The abakuá instruments used particularly in ritual ceremonies are the following drums: bonkó enchemiyá, bincomé o biankome, obí-apá, kuchi-yeremá and the ekón bell.These rituals, named plantes are carried out in sacred places as well as in processions where the ireme is danced.

Abebe
Type of fan made of vegetable fiber decorated with bells, used to invoke the orisha.

Agogo
Small bells welded together used to invoke the orishas in the santería.The bell varies according to the orisha that is being called.

Anakue
Instrument made of two joined metallic cones filled with dry seeds or gravel; it is played by shaking it like a maraca.

Apobanga
Name of an ancient dance or danzón.

Arará
Music and religion of the Fon and Ewe ethnicities, from the Dahomey region, an ancient French colony situated in the Guinea Gula. The religion is similar to the YorubaYoruba tradition and there have been various crossovers and exchanges of songs, deities and rituals between the Santería and Arará.

Areito
Song of the ancient Indians of the Antilles and Central America, as well as the dance that accompanies it.

Assongue
Type of metallic maraca used in the arará-inspired music.

Atchere
Type of decorated maraca, used in the traditional lucumí music.