Perhaps I’m just too much of a stick-in-the-mud, but I don’t enjoy this stuff.. In fact, it kind of creeped me out a bit…
That is a video clip from an event in North Carolina a week or so ago.
The goal of the event, as I understand it, was to pay tribute to Oshun, an African deity of the Yoruba people. The event was held at a river. Ok, I get that… Rivers are considered “sacred” to Oshun. But what’s with all of the southern baptist style singing?
I understand that people within the African Traditional Religious (ATR) community want to raise awareness of those outside of the community — to improve understanding, dispel myths, and the usual stuff that minority-religions look for in the United States.
Wanting to put your best foot forward is understandable, but sometimes this stuff just gets too watered down.
I wanted to make a joke about the amount of “COEXIST” bumper stickers at this event, but I don’t even have the heart for it.
I used to disregard comments I’d see online about how “white people” are ruining the religion and changing it to be completely different from how it was meant to me, but I’m starting to think they have a point… Well, I wouldn’t go so far as pointing the blame solely on the “white people.” I mean, heck, I’m one of them, obviously. But I think there is a definite issue when we start changing things in order for the religion to be more accepted by others outside of the community.
Aside from the random clips from Nigeria, I only spotted — at most — a half dozen African Americans at this event and maybe a couple Latin Americans. What the heck?!?!?
I hate to admit it, but I think that I’d almost rather be associated with the religion as it’s portrayed in over-sensationalized media hype and cheesy horror films than to have people think I’m even remotely associated with anything going on in these videos.
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As a white guy who is soon to be getting his Elekes and Warriors, who has been into Santeria for many years…if this was the local representation of what Santeria was about, I promise I would have never “found myself” in Santeria. I may be white, but my Orishas are not, my Godfather is not, and my Santeria is not “white-washed”. We learn Yoruba, we learn Yoruba songs, Lacumi songs, we practice animal sacrifice as the Orishas suggest, we sweat, we even sing off key.
I’m not suggesting that “my way” is any better than these ladies are doing. It’s wonderful that they are getting to know their inner Orishas….but I have to agree with your blog.
Thanks for the response, Scott. I think I might just include this in the upcoming podcast. It’s a delicate issue, but one that I think is important to bring up.