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ROOTS OF DOMINICAN RELIGION

A foot-tall statue of Chola Wengue, an African goddess of riches and pleasure.

Though not all recognize it, Dominican religious practices share roots with other Caribbean traditions that originate in Africa. As Dominicans have dug deeper in search of their roots, they find that most of their religious ceremonies, from the mani, a celebration of a saint’s day, to a funeral procession, incorporate African elements of instrumentation, vocal inflection, spirituality and worship.

Catholic colonists tried to obliterate their slaves' religious practices, so the African dieties were disguised as saints. Slaves appeared to appreciate their new faith. Now the two religions are intertwined, a phenomenon called syncretism.