People alight from ferry
Music
18:50

Millar: Every half an hour the ferries leave Cuba’s capital, Havana -- making their way across this narrow stretch of harbour to the tiny town of Regla.
18:58
Regla
In this very Catholic country, I’m searching for a home grown popular religion called Santeria.
19:11

Down every street, along every alley -- across the country, you’ll find believers.


Santeria is not voodoo. More a faith that’s evolved over the centuries. A blend of beliefs brought from Africa by the slaves -- and the teachings of the Catholic missionaries.

Millar walks along street
Its highly loved and respected priests are called babalawos and I’m about to consult my very own.
19:40
Millar visits Norberto
Millar: Norberto, I’ve come to you for help. I want to know about my future.
19:49

MILLAR: Norberto Diaz is one of 3000 babalawos in Cuba dispensing advice and comforting the curious and the anxious. And according to him I’ve good reason to be worried.
19:54

Norberto: There are people who don’t want you to be happy.
20:06

Millar: I’m wondering which of those beads is going to deliver the good news.
20:13

Norberto: It also explained you have to be careful with accidents -- with falls -- things that could happen to you.
20:17

Millar: Ok -- that’s about enough -- there’s just one last thing to ask..
20:23

Lisa: And can I cut to the chase? Am I going to be rich?
20:28

Norberto: Mucho. Mucho.


Millar: Oh lots!

Rooster in cage
Millar: Animal sacrifice is a big part of this religion, but I don’t know whether to take it seriously or not. And I need to find someone who can answer some of my questions.
20:36
Natalia at typewriter
Natalia Bolivar is one of Cuba’s most respected anthropologists. There’s not much she doesn’t know about Santeria -- or the people who brought it to her country.
Natalia: Their religion is part of our music,
20:49
Natalia
it’s part of our daily life, it is part of our personality. And it is very strong in our blood.
21:02

Millar: Her rooms are filled with the kind of altars and offerings that are found in homes right across Cuba.
21:12
Street scenes
Santeria has always been practiced here, but its popularity has soared as the revolution has crumbled and Cubans now display their faith proudly in public. And as times get tougher, an estimated 80 per cent of the population turn to Santeria for guidance on just about everything.
Natalia: Sometimes we are very desperate
21:26
Natalia
because the circumstances we are living under are very dramatic, so the people look for their spirituality, they look inside themselves.
21:50

Singing


Millar: We could hear the drumbeats long before we found the house.
22:06
Inez and others at part
Singing


Millar: For 37 years Inez Perez has been a believer -- and tonight she’s throwing a neighbourhood party for her saint.
Inez: Well what’s going to happen is,
22:20
Inez:
El gua (the saint) will show up on horseback and do a little dance and clean everyone -- clean you and clean me. He’s the biggest man of the saints. He opens the doors.
22:33

Millar: And sure enough Inez Perez’s saint arrives.
22:53

Writhing around the drummers, spitting rum at its audience, cleansing their souls. Inez isn’t surprised more Cubans are turning to their saints for help -- people here have a lot of faith.

Inez
Inez: I’ve had many tests with my dead -- with my saints. That’s why I’m going to die with my saints. See, I have challenges.
23:21

Millar: She’s not alone

Night shots
As night falls -- we leave the Santeria faithful -- heavy with the knowledge that their high priests predict turbulent times for us all -- tragedy and crisis, war and flooding. So far they’re right! Well, as the Cubans say manana, tomorrow, if there’s going to be a problem we’ll deal with it another day.
23:44
Credits:
Cuba Santeria
Reporter: Lisa Millar
Camera: David Martin
Sound: Woody Landay
Editor: Stuart Miller
Producer: Vivien Altman