The branches of Palo Monte

This small group holds a branch of Palo Monte, an Afro-Cuban religion of Central African (Kongo) origin, developed among enslaved Bakongo people in Cuba. Palo centres on a consecrated vessel, the nganga, and on relationships with the spirits of the dead and natural forces.

The browser will find the ramas (branches) into which the tradition divides. The entries describe the branch in relation to the wider Palo tradition and its Kongo roots, noting that it is a distinct religion from the Yoruba-derived Santeria with which it often coexists in Cuba.