S O N G S O F P R A I S E A N D I N V O C A T I O N :

The Orisha Sacred Songs of Trinidad

R I C H A R D P A U L

T H E P U R P O S E O F T H I S P R O J E C T IS T O S T U D Y A N D T R A N S L A T E R E C O R D E D Y O R U B A

C H A N T S A N D P R A I S E S O N G S O F T R I N I D A D O V E R T H E P A S T 65 Y E A R S . B E C A U S E O F T H E

H O R R I F I C C O N D I T I O N S O F T H E T R A N S - A T LA N T I C S L A V E T R A D E , A L M O S T A L L ORISHA

D E V O T E E S H A V E L O S T T H E M E A N I N G O F T H E C H A N T S , A N D C O N S E Q U E N T L Y , T H E E M -

P H A S I S IS O N T H E R I T U A L S . I S E E K T O D E T E R M I N E T O W H A T D E G R E E T H E C H A N T S

S U N G I N T R I N I D A D H A V E R E M A I N E D T H E S A M E O R C H A N G E D A N D T O W H A T D E G R E E

T H E Y H A V E A L L D E P A R T E D F R O M C O N T I N E N T A L Y O R U B A . A C Q U I R I N G T H E T R A N S L A -

T I O N S A L L O W S D E V O T E E S T O A T T A I N A P H I L O S O P H I C A L U N D E R S T A N D I N G O F T H E R E -

L I G I O N , A N D I N D O I N G S O , T H I S S T U D Y A I M S A T R E C O N S T R U C T I N G A N D U P L I F T I N G

T H E ORISHA R E L I G I O N O F T R I N I D A D .

I received an advanced study grant and traveled to Benin West Africa in the summer of 2005 to conduct field re-search into the Yoruba origins of the Orisha chants of Trinidad. I conducted the first segment of my research in Ketu, an historic Yoruba district located in the eastern part of Benin, 86 miles from Cotonou and 67 miles from Port Novo, the two main cities in the Benin Republic. Ketu has a population of approximately 100,000 inhabitants, 77 per-cent of whom constitute the Yoruba people, crowded into two of the six communities, namely Ketu (the city) and Idigny/Idahin (a rural town). It was in Idigny that I met with King Oba Thomas Atanda Idowu Arolagbade I I and interviewed the chief priests and Orisha devotees.

In Trinidad, the Orisha movement, better known as the Shango religion, which venerates the forces of nature, the Orisha, is the cultural l ink between Afro-Trinidadians and the Yoruba peoples of West Africa. Streams of Yoruba cul-ture have flowed from the rivers of Africa and into the seas of the Americas. In Trinidad, the essence of Yoruba culture still exists, and Yoruba language has survived in song, pri-marily because of the vitality of the Shango religion. This collection of Orisha chants translated demonstrates the life experiences of African-Trinidadians, from the African con-tinent, to the Middle Passage, the oppressive slave planta-tion, and finally the present communities of Trinidad. Unfortunately, most Trinidadians still have a colonized mentality and continue to devalue, ridicule, and demonize the Orisha religious movement. Their contempt for African-based religions does not diminish the joy and ful-fillment Orisha devotees gain from their faith.

Over the course of my research experience i n the Benin Republic, I was privy to Orisha religious celebrations and observed that the Orisha sacred songs of Trinidadians are reflections of the rhythms and expressions of Yoruba cul-ture. The invigorating drums, the heartbeat of the tradi-tion, and their pulsating rhythms have the power to awaken anyone in their vicinity. The beauty of the Orisha drums is that they elevate our being to higher states of consciousness where, through joy in trance, we dance the dance of our an-

cestors. With the exception of some of the sacred songs/chants that I sang, the collection of chants translated in this research included those recorded and sung by Ella Andall, a prominent Trinidadian Orisha devotee, i n her most recent CD, Shango Babawa. The translations are not literal per se, but they do convey the ideological, sociologi-cal, and contextual meanings. Sung to praise and honor some of the most revered Orisha, in the Orisha spiritual re-ligious traditions, the Oriki praise songs enabled diasporic Africans to reaffirm their Yoruba identity. Their unques-tioned trust in their Orisha spiritual traditions enabled di-asporic Africans to remember and mentally transport their Orisha to the Americas. Shango, who is the spirit of light-ning and thunder, the Orisha of justice of righteousness, the protector of children and the innocent, became the pa-triarchal head, the bearer and the representation of the Orisha spiritual tradition in Trinidad. Shango, in addition to several Orisha, is the cultural remnant that enslaved Africans brought to the Americas, including the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

Orisha devotees remember the horrors of slavery through the chant of Ara romi 0, but they regain hope and assurance in songs like Babawa ye rona ye rona and Shango mu asefun wa. These lamentations of hope not only reveal their de-pendency on Shango, but they also show the power and-heightened self-esteem they have gained.

E L E M E N T S S P R I N G 07

A R A R O M I O

Ara romi o My body is in pain Ara romi Shango SHANCO my body is in pain Ara romi emitibini SHANCO I do not want my body to pain Ara romi Shango SHANGO my body is in pain Ojo romi e e The rain is falling on me [I am experiencing hard times] Ojo romi Shango

The rain is falling on me [I am experiencing hard times]

B A B A Y E R O N A Y E R O N A

Babawa ye rona ye rona Our father has found a way to be with us Shango rona SHANCO has found a way to be with us Babawa ye rona ye rona Our father has found a way to be with us Shango rona SHANCO has found a way to be with us S H A N G O M U A S E F U N W A

Shango mu ase fun wa SHANCO give us the power Orriwo You have the power Shango fun wa SHANCO has given us the power Orriwo You have the power Mu ase fun wa Give us the power Orriwo You have the power Babawa fun wa Our father has given us the power

In times of hardships, many questioned their faith and sub-jected themselves to despair as seen in Ka rele. However, some of the devotees' unquestionable trust in their religion corrects those doubts when they reminded others of Shango's vitality, as observed in Emi ni ape Shango I'ojo.

K A R E L E

Ka rele Let us go home Ka rele o Let us go home! Ka rele ojo moni owo Let us go home, the rain has no regards for anyone Ojo baa de Let the rain come! Onian wa, bi ojo baa de onian wa People come, even if there is rain, people come

E M I N I A P E S H A N G O L ' O J O

Emi ni ape Shango l'ojo I say that they [devotees] call SHANCO during the rain [hard times] Shango de omi lala l'ojo SHANCO has come [even if] there is plenty water [hard times] Omi lala l'ojo There is plenty water [hard times]

Orisha devotees have no qualms about portraying or about celebrating Shango's aggressiveness, his omnipotence and his unscathed vengeance as the fierce protector in songs like Shango oloro.

S H A N G O O L O R O

Shango oloro SHANCO is deadly Shango olo oloro SHANCO owns snake venom [SHANCO is lethal] Shango o Hail SHANCO!

Shango oloro SHANCO is deadly

S O N G S O F P R A I S E A N D I N V O C A T I O N : T H E O R I S H A S A C R E D S O N G S O F T R I N I D A D

Shango Babawa is a typical song of invocation and Fere ku few yero and Emi I'awa ko pemi la fise emi I'awa are tradi-tional praise songs.

S H A N G O B A B A W A

Shango Babawa Our father SHANGO

Shango Alado karele SHAN co, the wearer of powerful amulets, let us go home and pay homage Shango Babawa Olododo Our father SHANGO, the most powerful Kabiese O! [Prostrating gesture/greeting of respect]

F E R E K U F E R E Y E R O

Fere ku fero yero You [SHANGO] are worthy to be praised gracefully La finsi Babawa Our dear father Fere ku fere Shango SHANGO is worthy to be praised gracefully La finsi Babawa Our dear father

E M I L ' A W A K O P E M I LA F I S E E M I L ' A W A

Emi I'awa ko pemi la fise emi I'awa Whenever you [SHANGO] call me, I will come and serve you Shango ko pemi la fise SHANGO I will come and serve you Emi I'awa ko pemi la fise emi I'awa Whenever you [SHANGO] call me, I will come and serve you Shango ko pemi la fise SHANGO I will come and serve you

Most Shango ceremonies dismiss Shango and bring closure with Fete ma lo Shango and/or Eru dele O.

T E T E M A L O S H A N G O

Tete ma lo Shango Depart quickly SHANGO

Tete ma lo Depart quickly Shango o! Tete ma lo Hail SHANGO! [NOW] depart quickly Tete ma lo Baba Depart quickly father Tete ma lo Depart quickly Shango o! Tete ma lo Hail SHANGO! (NOW) depart quickly

E R U D E L E

Eru dele O Your servant has come to your shrine Eru de Your devotee has arrived Mo juba I pay homage Mo lo I leave Eru de Your devotee has come Mo juba I pay homage Mo lo o! [And] I leave

"Emi I'awa ko pemi la fise emi I'awa Whenever you [SHANGO] call me, I will come and serve youv