Ethnographic atlas of Cuba

Sloop: Vessel with a deck, one mast, rudder and a tank to keep live fish.

Suspended citizenship: Under the Treaty of Paris, signed by the United States and Spain on December 10, 1898, Spanish subjects in Cuba were granted the right to preserve their citizenship by declaring their desire to do so in the offices established for that purpose in every municipality in the country. Non-compliance of this proceeding was considered a tacit waive of their nationality of origin and the adoption of Cuban citizenship. Under Article IX of the above-mentioned treaty, the Register of Spaniards in the Island was established from July 11, 1899, to April 11, 1900, for those who had still not exercised that right. When the Census was made in 1899, not all foreigners living in Cuba had fulfilled these proceedings. Thus, the occupation authorities established the category of suspended citizenship to classify the foreigners who had not yet chosen their citizenship.

Satin stitch: Hand or machine embroidery. A drawing on a piece of material is filled with long stitched threads. It is extensively used in sheets, handkerchiefs, pillowcases, layettes, etc.

Stone mill: Artisan implement made up by two circular volcanic millstones. It is manually operated with a wooden stick or handle that is placed into a hole in the upper stone. Its other end may be free or set into a wooden framework. Dry corn is processed in it to obtain a gross meal for poultry or a fine meal for human consumption.

Sponge lever with specific teeth: Wooden stick with three flat teeth tied to one of its ends.

Sponge lever for underwater gathering: Short wooden stick with flat teeth tied to one of its ends and a rope tied to the other.

Santería: Popular religion, also called regla de ocha, or ocha-ifá, merging African (mainly Yoruba and Adya-Fon) and Spanish elements (having to do with Catholicism) in its liturgy and mythic notions, but with original characteristics due to the linkage of old local cults with a wider home worshipping where participation is larger. Cuban santería has its house-temples in the houses of its believers, but there are differences due to their various hierarchies and economic potential. Some of them gather a large number of believers around the prestige of godfathers and godmothers. A complex initiation process contributes to the emergence of ethic values having to do with their view of reality as reflected in religious practice. Santería makes use of several divination methods through four pieces of coconut shell (obi), sixteen cawries (dilogun), Ifa's chain (opkuelé) and Ifa's board (babalawo). The ceremonial and festive process, according to the various anniversaries, includes several instrumental groups and many songs and dances, that are an essential part of religious activities. Yoruba remnants are used in ritual language. This religion is found throughout the island, but is stronger in its central-western half.

Santo alumbrado (Lighted saint): Commemoration also known as velorio de santo (saint's wake). A wake is held as a tribute to the day of Our Lady of Charity, Saint Lazarus or other Catholic saints.

Sapitos (Los) (The Little Frogs): Artistic performance in peasant dances in Majagua, Ciego de Avila province, where the ancient children game Comadrita la Rana is enacted. Children usually perform it dancing by themselves and freely dancing in couples.

Sardana: The most representative dance of Catalonian immigrants in Cuba. It is linked with the colla festivity, held in Havana City (Boyeros municipality) and in Matanzas. Its excellent music and performance guarantee the active participation of those attending the festivities.

Second Leguedde: The second drum in the Haitian radá or dahome ensemble.

Serón: Large, flexible and light saddlebag made of yarey or other plant material. It is placed on the back of a horse or mule as a double basket (one at each side) and is used to carry agricultural produce.

Sirivinga: Type of celebration, a variation of the tingo-talango and also a dance similar to the caringa, accompanied by a bunga formed by tres, clave, taburete, machete and sirivinga. It is held in the area of Trinidad and dates from 1775. From the musical point of view, it may be considered a variation of caringa. Some call it caringa trinitaria.

Sitio de labor (Work site): Tract of land very similar to estates. According to Esteban Pichardo (1889) this name was more often used in the western part of the island, but in colonial times both names were used for the same type of farm. (See estate).

Slay Man Goose: Lay dance performed by immigrants from Jamaica and other areas in the Caribbean on August 1st at Baraguá, Ciego de Avila province. Songs accompanying it bear the same name.

Smirna: Embroidery on jute or another material made with a special needle called "magic needle" or "wonderful needle" with which worsted yarn passes through the material. A kind of plush is formed when adequately cut.

Sogón: Form in which conga is danced in the eastern part of Cuba, specifically in some municipalities in Granma and Holguín provinces. There is a rope about 100 m long (a block) with a bow at one end. A bastonero (a man with a baton) stands inside the bow and extemporizes movements with the baton that the dancers holding the rope imitate.

Sola vaya!: Expression used to guard the evils that may be brought down by some act or sounds of a person or animal.

Son (genre): Popular dance music from the eastern part of Cuba. It is the product of a specific union of European and African elements and is played by an orchestra generally formed by a tres, a güiro, maracas and bongoes. The son has a 2/4 time and two parts: the first, a stanza, was sung by two voices; the second, the chorus and refrain, comments the first part.

Son montuno (ensemble): This musical ensemble emerged at the turn of the century. It has remained in its original form in many areas in the country. It uses a guitar, a tres, maracas, claves, a bongó, a marímbula and a botija. In Havana it was at the origin of the sextets and septets, that replaced some instruments and incorporated new ones. The sextet was the one to exercise the greatest influence on the son montuno during the first half of this century.

Sucu-sucu: Variation of the son in Isle of Youth municipality. It is slower and its rhythm is simpler. It is danced dragging the feet on the floor. In old wooden floors, this dragging created a sound similar to "sucu sucu". It is also influenced by Jamaican and Cayman Islands dances that were quite extended in that area.