A Havana santera with over 82 years initiated in the Regla de Ocha stars in a video published last Tuesday on TikTok by the godmother Mari de los Santos, one of the most followed figures of the Yoruba religion on the platform, with more than 2.5 million followers under the account @ile_oi.
The senior santera, identified as Ángela, began her journey in the Regla de Ocha "in her fifties" and is described as a "santera," a term in Cuban tradition that designates those who are consecrated under the patronage of the orisha Yemayá, the goddess of the sea, who is syncretized with Our Lady of Regla.
In the video, Mari de los Santos asks Ángela if she would perform her saint again. The answer was emphatic: "How could I not? And who is calling me? Who is the one keeping me here in the realm?" said the elderly woman, attributing her presence in the earthly world to the protection of her orisha.
But Ángela's most important message was not about her personal faith, but about the current state of religion. The chief santera warned that in Cuban Santería "it's not a taboo; everyone knows that many improper things are being done", and she lamented that the elder santeros are being ignored or silenced by the new generations.
His message was clear: the elders are the guardians of tradition and have the responsibility to guide the younger generations. "They are the ones who must guide us and occasionally give us a reprimand, because things are not done as they are, but as they should be," he stated.
Ángela also made clear the true role of the santeros of her generation: "The elders are here to teach, not to destroy, nor to live off anyone."
Mari de los Santos emphasized the importance of these figures for the entire religious community: "You are the ones who have preserved our religion, and thanks to you, we continue," she said, addressing the senior santeros.
This debate about generational transmission and respect within Cuban Santería is not new. Babalawo Lázaro F. Cuesta Valdés has warned about the erosion of "essential values in human relationships," reflected in the conduct and projection of young people towards the elders and even worse, elders against other elders. The Cultural Yoruba Association of Cuba called in January 2020 to denounce santeros who create divinities for profit.
TikTok has become a new space for the dissemination of Yoruba religion, where Cuban accounts like @ile_oi reach millions of global followers and bring rituals, songs, and internal debates to international audiences, amplifying both the visibility of the tradition and its internal tensions.
The final message from Ángela, conveyed by Mari de los Santos at the end of the video, was a plea to all those who are just starting out in the religion: "She asks you to please take care of the religion as she and they have done."
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