Sensemayá is a poem by the Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén, adapted as an orchestral work by the Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas. It is one of Revueltas's most famous compositions.
Guillén's poem evokes a ritual Afro-Caribbean chant performed while killing a snake:
Revueltas first set the poem to music in Mexico City in 1937, originally setting it for small orchestra. In 1938, he expanded it into a full-scale orchestral setting for 27 wind instruments, fourteen percussion instruments and strings. As one reviewer describes it:
"Sensemayá" is based on Afro-Cuban religious cults, preserved in the cabildos, self-organized social clubs for the African slaves. African religions were transmitted from generation to generation. These religions, which had a similar but not identical structure, were known as Lucumi or Regla de Ocha if they derived from the Yoruba, Palo from Central Africa, Vodú from Haiti, and so on. In this poem we meet an adept known as the mayombero. He is knowledgeable in the area of herbal medicine, as well as being the leader of rituals. In Sensemayá the mayombero leads a ritual which offers the sacrifice of a snake to a god, perhaps Babalu Aye. This god, popularized as Babalu in the United States by Desi Arnaz, is the Afro-Cuban spirit who has the power to heal, or spread pestilence. One of the main motives in Sensemayá is based on this word ¨mayombero¨. This chant "mayombe, bombe mayombé", is an example of Guillén's use of repetition, derived from an actual ceremony.[1]
The piece has gained new popularity in recent years as Revueltas's work has been 'rediscovered'. Notably, Sensemayá was used in Robert Rodríguez' film Sin City. The director/composer describes it as having been a major influence on the rest of the film score.
The score and parts for Revueltas's setting of Sensemayá are available to rent from the music publisher G. Schirmer.
"Sensemayá" was again set by Chilean Nueva Canción group Inti-Illimani. It was released in 1979 on their album "Canción para matar una culebra". The song in places borrows its 7 meter from Revueltas' work.
A choral setting of "Sensemayá" was written by Canadian composer Sid Robinovitch in 2000. The work was part of his three-part set of songs Canciones por las Americas. Robinovitch's choral setting includes rhythmic chanting, dissonant and occasionally chaotic harmonies, and spoken verse.
In addition, the work was adapted for the field by the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 1994 (opener), Revolution Drum and Bugle Corps in 2007 (closer), and Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps in 2009 (in the middle of the program).