Latin music
Just as the Spanish brought the Catholic church, so the slaves brought their African religions, which today go by various names. The word santería means the fusion of catholic saints and African spirits, so for example the African orisha (spirit) Babalú is the counterpart of the Catholic saint San Lazaro. The Yoruban religion in Cuba is usually called regla de ocha, while the Brazilian version of the same religion is called conbomblé.The ancient religions were not just a set of beliefs; they were the center of life in an uncertain world. The slaves brought their beliefs, their dances, their music, their instruments and their ceremonies with them in their minds. Where their masters allowed it, they reproduced the culture they had left behind. Since then, it has heavily influenced popular music in the Afro-Latin countries.