Afro-Cuban Lullaby
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Afro-Cuban Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Afro-Cuban tradition, rooted in the sacred bata drumming brought to Havana by enslaved Yoruba ancestors. Bata drums are traditionally played in a set of three hourglass-shaped drums of different sizes, each considered sacred within Santeria, the Afro-Cuban religious tradition that grew from beliefs the Yoruba carried across the Atlantic. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
Verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
What “Afro-Cuban Lullaby” Means
“Iya” means mother in Yoruba, and it is also the name of the largest of the three sacred bata drums, the one that leads the others. This original lullaby draws on those bata-drum and rhythm images of Afro-Cuban life, with “iya” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.
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- An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
- Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
- Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
- Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.
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