Ned Sublette - Diosdado With His Arm in a Sling, Matanzas

Matanzas might be the great African city of the New World. It is the cradle of much of what we think of as Cuban culture - the rumba, the danzon, and the African religions of Cuba. Matanzas is the home of the greatest rumba group in history: Los Munequitos de Matanzas, six of whose albums I released on Qbadisc and three of which I produced. Though Havana can swallow you up, I always make at least a day trip to Matanzas to visit Los Munequitos. Diosdado Ramos is the Director General of Los Munequitos. On this day he had cut his hand badly, and had his arm in a sling. Not a white sling. A red sling, over his white bandage - the colors of Chango. On his left wrist he wears the bracelet of Chango and the yellow-and-green bracelet that is called the Mano de Orula.