Are we allowed to play the Santeria rhythms as non-initiated persons?

This is an important and very legitimate question. Especially in the spiritual layer which Santería is (like every religion), and which is often put together with other cults under the umbrella term “Voodoo”. 

To explain it in a few words: “Voodoo” refers to a religious cult in Benin in West Africa, which was exported to Haiti through the slave trade and where this religion therefore also exists. The Voodoo cult is said to work a lot with black magic and is therefore dangerous. It is certainly true that they also work with magical practices that involve power, influence and manipulation. However, upon closer inspection, this is not something that is specific to voodoo - it occurs in many faiths, religions, sects, and cults (including Christianity). However, I think that if you are not deeply integrated into a religious/cultic energy field, the energetic influence/impact of such a field on you is limited - so you are not automatically "at the mercy of a dark force". That's my opinion, in the end you have to decide for yourself how you deal with this topic.

Now to the actual question. I think it's important that when we play rhythms which are dedicated to Orichás, we are aware of this. That we are also aware that Santería is a very central part of the lives of many people - it is their religion, their world view, their ethic, their belief system. And for that reason alone, this culture/religion should be viewed just as respectfully as our own or any other. If you are dealing with the music of Santería and reading this, then I assume that you do it with respect - otherwise you would not have come to this point.

Ritual music is ALWAYS something very special. It usually has a special power that can hardly be explained, but which can captivate you in some way. This is what happened to me with the Santería rhythms around 1987. A friend gave me a music cassette on which she had recorded music for me. On side 1 was “Guem et Zaka” – in that time a god in percussion world, who later became a dear friend for me. On the other side was “Bembé” by Milton Cardona. This is one of the most beautiful recordings of Santeria music to date. I didn't know what kind of music it was (I thought it was African, which is true in origin), where it exactly came from, I had never heard a drum sound like that. This sound was so different than anything else I had heard up to that point. This sound, in combination with the rhythmic energy that is so typical of the Santería toques, had an absolutely magical power in my mind (that's exactly how I felt when I first got to know the rhythms of Candomblé in a workshop of  the brazilian percussionist Dudu Tucci). In the following years I went looking for this music, I got all the recordings I could get (at that time there was almost nothing about this topic). I then meticulously transcribed these recordings and by this way I learned how the Batá system works.  So I dealt intensively with the matter and continued to feel and explore the energy of these rhythms. I got hold of batás (which was also quite challenging in Central Europe) and we worked out the rhythms (and still play them).

For several years I accompanied a Candomblé dance course (with Adão Cesar de Lima/BRA, and later with Roxana Jaffé/BRA).

I have a high regard and great respect for Santería and Candomblé. At the same time, I feel the power that lies in their rhythms as something higher (a sort of meta-layer) - something that I, as a Central European, can maybe feel just as much as someone from Salvador de Bahia. The cultures of the world are connected by archetypes, by natural elements, etc. These play a central role in Santería and Candomblé (e.g. Oyá is the goddess of the wind, Changó of fire, Odudúwá of the earth, etc.). I perceive the energy that arises when I play ritual rhythms as something sacred – for me it is a ritual, a prayer. In this respect, it differs fundamentally from other music styles such as Salsa music (that is not a judgment! I love Salsa!). And I try, when I play this music, to do so with a very grateful, serving and humble attitude - aware of where it comes from and aware of the power it has.

In this respect, I have decided for myself that it is okay if I play and teach these rhythms (and thus pass on this experience to other people).