Lecture 1Voodoo Children

Vesa Matteo PiluduHelsinki

Department of Comparative Religion and Institute for Art Research

University of Helsinki

Influence of Afro-American religions on popular music

This lectures tells about the relationship between Afro-American religions and popular music

The Afro-American religions has a significant influence on popular music

1. The influence could be musical In popular music could be used same instruments, rhythms,

time-lines in a different contest: profane, not sacred

2. The influence could be at the level of the lyrics: the songs have words that mention directly or indirectly Afro-American religions’ features

3. The influence could be both musical and lyrical

Similarities between Afro-American religious and popular music

Rhythms, dance, collectivity

Antiphonal choruses: solo question and chorus answer

Vocal – instrumental dialogue Relevant use of time-lines: short rhythmic patterns

Importance of the song and lyrics: songs should tell something relevant about life, should have soul, content mystery and passion. Bad lyrics aren’t considered.

The music is not only entertainment, it’s a lifestyle, a philosophy.

Mystic role of the singer similar to the preacher’s one

Relation to music that is quite similar to trance state

Respect revered to the great musicians similar to an “ancestor cult “

Santana: Black Magic Woman, 1970 Album: Abraxas, Author: Peter Green

Got a black magic womanGot a black magic womanI’ve got a black magic woman

Got me so blind I cant seeThat she’s a black magic womanShe’s trying to make a devil out of me

Don’t turn your back on me babyDon’t turn your back on me babyYes don’t turn your back on me baby

Stop messing round with your tricks

Don’t turn your back on me babyYou just might pick up my magic sticks

Got your spell on me babyGot your spell on me baby

Yes you got your spell on me babyTurning my heart into stone

I need you so bad, magic womanI can’t leave you alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WCc025HH0E&feature=related

Black Magic Woman

The black magic woman has the features of a dark lady (fascinating, but dangerous, as an expert of hoodoo love spells)

Dark ladies are frequent in American popular culture, they aren’t necessarily Afro

Dark ladies sells incredibly well(from Hollywood to gothic rock)

Joe Cocker: Civilized ManSongwriters: Alter, Louis / Delange, Eddie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEFA31Gt8T8&feature=related

You made me need youNeed you so badWould you believeAnd never so mad, oh yeahDouble cross me once, and never cross me againNow you're running 'round looking for some sympathyWell you know as well as I that we're history

You're lucky, I'm a civilized manYou're lucky, I'm a civilized manOh yeah, a civilized man

A poison arrow, right from the startRight down to zero, you went for my heartOh yeahYou've been hoodoo, voodooStart the fire again

Now you ask me to forget all you've brought me toWhen you know as well as I you've got it coming to you

You're lucky, I'm a civilized manYou're lucky, I'm a civilized manOh yeah, a civilized man

Both songs refers to hoodoo love spells In the photos: symbols of Erzulie - Ezilí Dantó - Ezili Freda, goddess of love in vodoun pantheon

Almamegretta (Italy): Black Athena

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mctUU9_Ck00&playnext_from=PL&feature=PlayList&p=544561EB07C8678B&playnext=1&index=29

Original man you got to understand we were all Africans

yes the knowledge of myself makes me a better self

so pick that dusty book up off the shelf and read the truth

read the truth science was created in Timbuktu center of the world is Africa the rhythm of the drum comes

from Africa

Look back look back Athena was black Athena was black If you look back

realize visualize open your eyes truth and lies we will despise oppressed must rise

Jimi Hendrix, Album: Electric Ladyland (1968)Voodoo Child (Slight Return). Part 1

1. Well, I stand up next to a mountain

And I chop it down with the edge of my hand

Yeah

Well, I stand up next to a mountain And I chop it down with the edge of my hand

Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an islandMight even raise a little sand

Yeah, 'Cause I'm a voodoo child

2. Lord knows I'm a voodoo child

BabyI want to say one more last thingI didn't mean to take up all your sweet time

I'll give it right back to ya one of these days

Ha ha ha

I said I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time

I'll give it right back one of these days

Oh yeah

Jimi Hendrix, Album: Electric Ladyland (1968)Voodoo Child (Slight Return). Part 2

3. If I don't meet you no more in

this world then uh

I'll meet ya on the next one

And don't be late Don't be late

'Cause i'm a voodoo child voodoo child

Lord knows I'm a voodoo child

Hey hey heyI'm a voodoo child baby

I don't take no for an answerQuestion no Yeah

Hendrix refers to the song as the Black Panthers' national anthem

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile Atlanta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7yPRYL_Oq0&feature=related

Analogies in Voodoo Child

Voodoist Afro-American Expert of religious trance Uses hypnotic music Said to be able to control the

forces of nature with his or the divinities’ powers

Black Power Afro-American Movement in ascension (at the time) Related to Afro-American

music Radical: I don't take no for an answer If I don't meet you no more in

this world then uh I'll meet ya on the next one

Rocker (Jimi Hendrix) Afro-American In musical trance Uses hypnotic music His music have relationship

with Afro-American religions Had power of influence on

the masses via music Politically radical

Angelique Kidjo,Voodoo ChildLP: Oremi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9ACprQXFwI

In the video it is possible to see classical Benin sculptures on the background

The origins West Africa, Benin, Nigeria, Congo

The slave ship Brooks of Liverpool, 1791

Sade: Slave Song, part 1LP: Lovers Rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym5zjRRTqU0

I see them gathered, see them on the shore

I turned to look once moreAnd he who knows me notTakes me to the belly of darkness

The tears run swift and hardAnd when they fallEven, even the comfort of a stoneWould be a gainThere was a time when I thoughtI would have to give upBut I'm thankful that I'm Strong as I am and I'll Try to do the best I can

1 - Tears will run swiftAnd tears will come that fall like rainI pray that it's swift thoughTears will fall as cold as pain

I pray to the almighty Let me not to him doAs he has unto meTeach my beloved childrenWho have been enslavedTo reach for the light continually

So many times I prayedSo many times I've prayed for youPrayed for you

Sade: Slave Song, part 2LP: Lovers Rock

The tears run swift and hard and cold as painEven, even the comfort of a stone would be a gainHad I not had the strength and wisdom of a warriorI would have to give upBut I'm thankful that I'm Strong as I am and I'll Try to do the best I can

Repeat 1

I pray to the almightyLet us not do as he has unto usTeach my beloved children I've been a slaveBut reach for the light continually

Wisdom is the flameWisdom is the brave warriorWho will carry us into the sunI pray that it's swift though Tears will come that fall like rain

So many times, so many times

Cidade negra (Brazil): Mucama (as the new slave)LP: Sobre todas as forcas.

Mucama Na cama do patrao

Me chama do negao Me paga Salário di bufao Mas come Como a populacao nao come

Servant In the Lord’s bed

He call me ”big nigger” He pay me A ridiculous salary But he eats What the people doesn’t

Slave trade

Afro-American Religions

Brazil: candomblé, tambor de minas, macumba, umbanda, others

Haiti: vodou, others

Cuba: santeria, others

Usa: hoodoo, others

Haitian vodou

Superficial syncretism

In Latin America the African divinities were ”fused” or identified with Catholic saints …

But the syncretism was quite superficial … as the logic of the possession ritual is deeply African

Syncretism was a useful strategy for the survival of the African beliefs

African and Afro-American possession religion

The finality of the rituals is the possession itself, the descent of the divinities and their embodiment … in the “heads” of the possessed

The possessed dances in trance, acquiring the voice dance steps and behaviours of the spirit. The beliver has the dress and the symbols of the divinities

the trance is extremely ritualized

The divinities enjoy to dance, the offers, the sacrifices, the ritual itself

The possessed enjoy the bodily communion with the divinity

Haitian vodou: please, forget zombies

"I Walked With A Zombie"1943

Trailer full of Hollywood stereotypes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_JnFXC6UA

R.e.M. I walked with a zombie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIptH1awUNI&NR=1

I walk with a zombie I walk with a zombie I walk with a zombie last night

Haitian vodou:please, forget black magic’s puppets

Haitian vodou is much more connected with healing

A vodou priest treats an ill woman with mud from the sacred pool in Plaine du Nord

300 kilometres north of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, during the annual festival honouring the spirit Ogou

Haitian ritual song

Leaf Oh, save my life I’m in misery My child is sick, I run to the healer-priest If he’s a good priest, he’ll save my life I live in poverty, Oh

Haitian mambo priestess

Lakou Souvenance with rada drums

Danças Brasileiras - Candomblé

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dlSVHZtQ_A&feature=related

Danças BrasileirasTambor de Mina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q23VwCvedmQ&feature=related

Milton Nascimento, Os Tambores De MinasLP: Nascimento (Grammy winner for world music)

Era um, era dois, era cemMil tambores e as vozes do alémMorro velho, senzala, casa cheia

Repinica, rebate, revolteia

E trovão no céu é candeiaEra bumbo, era surdo e era caixaMeia-volta e mais volta e meiaPocotó, trem de ferro e uma luzProcissão, chão de flores e Jesus

Bate forte até sangrar a mãoE batendo pelos que se foramOs batendo pelos que voltaramOs tambores de Minas soarãoSeus tambores nunca se calaram

There was one, two, a hundred, a thousand drum and the voices

from beyond Old hill, senzala, full house

The sound rebounds, bounces and bounds

Thunder in the sky is a candle It was bumbo, surdo and caixa Half-round and one and half Horse track, iron train and a light Procession, soil of flowers and Jesus

Hit strong until the hand bleeds Hit for the departed ones Hit for the ones returned The drums of Minas will play The drums that never were in silence

Milton Nascimento, Os Tambores De MinasLP: Nascimento

(...)E o futuro nas mãos do meninoBatucando por fé e destino

(...)

And the future in the child’s hands Drumming for faith and destiny

Free translation: Vesa Matteo Piludu

Senzala: slave’s houses

Bumbo, caixa, surdo = drums

Angelique Kidjo: Shango

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_VjmiPDZmU&feature=channel

Xangô

Lord of the thunders and fires

King of Oyó, royalty

Brave, dominator

Masculine, virile

Half-human and half orixá

Color: white and red

Symbols: oxé, double battle-axe

Xangô

Cd Festa da Musica do Gantois 2

track 5

Rhythm: barra vento

The dance represent royal appearance, the assignation of judgments, thunders

Fire dance

Kawô kabiesileh!

Xangó, Brazil

Xango, Brazil

Xango, Benin, Africa

Xango, Benin

Xango, Brazil

Xango

Xango, Brazil

Xango, Benin, Africa

Xango, Benin, Africa

Vinicius de Moraes – Baden Powell:Canto de Ossanha

Amigo sinhôSaraváXangô me mandou lhe dizer

Se é canto de OssanhaNão vá!Que muito vai se arrepender

Pergunte pr'o seu OrixáO amor só é bom se doer

Friend, old boy Saravá Xango send me to say to you

If it is Song of Ossanha Don’t go! You will regret it!

Ask to your orixá The love is good only if it hurts!

Xango, opposed to the herbalist Ossanha, is here represented as a protector of passionate and brave love, including risks of pain and sorrow

Xangô: justice and wifes

As other gods of thunder, Xango is connected to justice and he is a punisher of thieves and evil-doers

In Africa house stroked by lighting is considered marked by the rave of Xangô

Xangô has 3 wifes: Oia-Iansã (storm), Oxum (river) and Obá (a she-warrior, also connected to a river)

There is a strong rivality between Oxum and Obá

Santana: Jingo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc4vZHf5iSQ

Galn Costa and Milton Nascimento: Voz do Tambor (Fonseca/Bastos)LP: Aquele frevo axé

Fala por nós a voz do tambor Voz que trae o meu amor

As cahoeiras Céu onde está Olorum Toda a beleza Agradecer a Oxum

Luz das estrelas Agradecer a Xango O bem da vida O bem da vida vem no bater do

tambor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaNba-3Wy8Y

The voice of the drums speaks for us

The voice that takes my love

The rapids Sky where Olorum lives All the beauty Will please Oxum

Starlight Will please Xango The joy of life Come from drumming

Olorum: God of skies Xango: god of thunder Oxum: goddess of

Free translation: Vesa Matteo Piludu

Iemanjá - Yemanjá

Lady of the seas and oceans, salted water

Both calm and stormy

Fertility, childbirth

protector of family

Is considered the mother of all the orixás

Colours: silver white and turquoise

Symbol: silver mirror, abebé

Yemanjá

Cd Festa da Musica do Gantois 2

track 4

Various rhythms

Odu iyá!

The dance represents the movements of the sea, the waves and calm femininity

African legend: back to the sea

She is the daughter of Olookun, divinity of the deep seas

His husband is completely drunk and pokes fun at the impressive dimensions of the breasts of Yemanjá

Offended, she beats the ground with her foot and transforms herself into a river, that goes back to the sea

Procession of Iemanjá: 2 of February

Procession of Jemanjá

Gal Costa (Author: Dorival Caymmy, Brazil):Dois de Fevereiro, LP: Gal Costa canta Caymmy

Dia dois de fevereiroDia de festa no marEu quero ser o primeiroPra salvar Yemanjá

Eu mandei um bilhete pra elaPedindo para ela me ajudarEla então me respondeuQue eu tivesse paciência de esperarO presente que eu mandei pra elaDe cravos e rosas vingou

The Second of February It’s a day of celebration in the Sea I want to be the first one To hail Yemanjá I send her a paper Asking for help She answered To have patience and wait I gave her a present Done by carnation and roses

Zeca Baleiro: Mamae Oxum (traditional, Brazil)

Iemanjá Celebration – Mamãe Oxum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDi89NTy-

Nk

Dances of Oxum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhcsJ0-

4s54&feature=related

Zeca Baleiro: Mamãe Oxum http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=PkctGlCA_tw

Eu vi mamãe Oxum na cachoeiraSentada na beira do rio

Colhendo lírio lirulêColhendo lírio liruláColhendo lírioPra enfeitar o seu congá

Ê areia do mar que o céu serenaÊ areia do mar que o céu serenouNa areia do mar mar é areiaMaré cheia ê mar marejou

I’ve seen Mother Oxúm in a fall Sitting on the river’s shores

Picking flowers, oh yeah Picking flowers, oh yeah Picking flowers To fascinate her congá (altar)

It’s the sea sand illuminated by the sky,

Sea sand illuminated by the sky,

In the sea sand, the sea is sand

Full tide, oh, the sea shores!

Oxúm in the Fall

Oxum

Divinity of fresh, running waters

Waterfalls

Sensual, feminine, vain But also protective and full of

compassion She is full of strength of will

connected to childbirth and Ifá divination

Symbol: golden mirror, abebé

Colour: golden yellow, copper

Oxum

Cd Festa da Musica do Gantois 2

track 1 Rhythm: ijexá

Ore yê yê ô!

The dance represent both the movement of a flowing river and sensual femininity

The divinity is looking at the mirror and taking care of her jewellery and hairs

Oxum

Oxum, Brazil

Oxum

Oxum

In Nigeria she is the divinity of the river Oxum

According to a legend she was offended because the male orixás’ organized reunions without women

As a revenge, she make all the women barren and the all the orixas’ projects failed

At the end all, she is invited to the reunions, and the things turn back to the normality

Rappa (Brazil): Lado B Lado A

Se eles sao Exu Eu sou Yemanjá Se elem matam bicho Eu tomo banho de mar (…)

Nao abro mao da mitologia negra Pra dizer: Eu nao pareco com com voce (…)

Eu soh guerreiro, sou trabalhadorEh todo dia vou encararCom Fé em Deus e na minha batalha (...)

If they are Exú I’m Yemanjá If they kill a beast I swim in the sea (…)

I’m not renouncing to the Black Mythology

To say: I’m not like you!

I’m a warrior, a worker Fighting every day With faith in God and in my battle

(…)

Exú = crossroads’ god Yemanjá= Sea goddess Free translation: Vesa Matteo

Piludu

Exú (Salvador, Brazil)

Exu’s colors: red and black

Exú - Carybe

Traditional trickster Is uncontrollable, unpredictable But it is possible to ask him

favours

Dominantly male, but also female, strongly human and emotive, full of desires

It is dangerous for his human-like behaviour … but isn’t evil

He is the mediator, the bridge between humans and divinities

He must called before all the others divinities to avoid “confusion”

Exú

Exu (known as Eleggua in Cuba and Legba in Haiti) is the owner of the roads and doors in this world.

He is the repository of axé (life energy).

The colours red and black or white and black are his and codify his contradictory nature.

In particular, Exu stands at the crossroads of the human and the divine, as he is a child-like messenger between the two worlds

Exú is also connected to sacrifices and offer

Eshú l'arôye!

In general, if Exú is respected, it ”opens the doors” and it is helpful

If isn’t considered, he could cause every kinds of catastrophes

Exú ceremony - padé

The exú ceremony is called padé It consist of an offer of vegetals to Exú

… and it is performed before the real ceremony, to avoid “confusion” during the ritual

CD Filhos de Gandhi, track 3: “sire de exú”

Exú (Salvador, Brazil)

Vinicius de Moraes – Baden Powell

Lamento de Exú

The ”cry” of Exú is interpreted with a feeling similar to the blues

Martinho da Vila: Sincretismo religiosoSinger from Rio in favor of syncretism

Ê, ô, todos os povos são filhos do senhor!Deus está em todo lugar.

Nas mãos que criam, nas bocas que cantam, nos corpos que dançam, nas relações amorosas, no lazer sadio, no trabalho honesto.

Onde está Deus? - Em todo lugar!

Olorum, Jeová, Oxalá, Alah, N`Zambi. . . Jesus!

E o espírito Santo? É Deus!Salve sincretismo religioso! - Salve!Quem é Omulu, gente? - São Lázaro! Iansã? - Santa Bárbara!Ogum? - São Jorge!

All the peoples are God’s sons

God is everywhere! In the hands that create, in the

mouths that song, in the bodies that dance, in the love relations, in the healthy and in the honest work

Where is God? Everywhere!

Olorum, Jeová, Oxalá, Alah, N`Zambi. . . Jesus!

And the Holy Spirit? Is Jesus! Hail the syncretism! Hail! Who’s Omolú, people? Saint Lazarus! Iansã? - Saint Barbara! Ogum? – Saint George!

Mãe Stella of Oxossi (Salvador) against the syncretism: Iansã is not Santa Barbara

“The catholic saints and images have their value. We do not want to stop having faith in Saint Barbara. Sure, an elevated spirit.

But we know that Iansã is another energy, it is not St. Barbara.

Religion is not something to be imposed, it depends of the consciousness of everyone.

But we want respect with the Candomblé.

It is a non-sense, for example, to give food to Iansa at St.Barbara's feet. It has no meaning.

The food is of Iansa, it is another energy, completely different of what it is St.Barbara, do you understand?”