On Spike Lee’s Netflix series, She’s Gotta Have It, there’s a recurring character named Lulu (played by real-life santera Santana Caress Benitez), who performs pared down, but still authentic rituals for the main character DeWanda. Yoruba cultural thought is a witness of two epochs. It’s still practiced in Cuba and across Central America and the Caribbean, as well as the United States. And though it’s technically possible to convert, actually doing so is a long, sometimes expensive, and deeply spiritual process. And these conversations are starting to show up more frequently in popular culture. The video for “Sorry” includes the body painting work of Laolu Sanbanjo, while “Hold Up” shows the singer unleashing the floodgates of her wrath while decked in a color traditionally associated with Oshun: golden yellow. Yorubaland, the historic area the group inhabited, stretched across the southwest area of Nigeria and small parts of Benin and Togo. So it's not surprising to learn that Africa is one of the most diverse places in the world, home to dozens and dozens of distinct ethnic groups. Within Nigeria, the Yoruba dominate the western part of the country.

Contrary to what many may imagine about medieval Africa, the Yoruba were largely an urbanized people, with an intricate, bureaucratic government. Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, primarily living in Nigeria. (Fun fact: not only do the Yoruba instill spiritual significance in pairs of twins, they also have one of the highest rates of twin birth of any ethnic group.). “Lucumí” was the name given to this new faith by its practitioners. Mira Nakashima inherited her father George's shop and set to work continuing his artistic legacy. It includes a divine creator, which is represented by a trinity. Distinctive cultural norms prevail in Yorubaland and among the Yoruba people. But their influence certainly didn’t end with visual art. Today, people of Yoruba descent make up one of the largest populations in not just modern-day Nigeria, but the African continent as a whole.
Working closely together, these artisans developed skills that left the Yoruba unmatched artistically in that region for generations.Above all else, the Yoruba were best known for a naturalistic sculpting style—terra cotta and brass sculptures were among the most enduring pieces of the time. Yoruba culture consists of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales. To start with, “Yoruba” is a pretty broad term. Their traditions have developed and matured for thousands of years, leaving a rich cultural history in From naming ceremonies to religious beliefs, here are 10 things you didn't know about Yoruba culture. Indeed, these practices were so deeply ingrained in the Yoruba people that, even through the brutal transatlantic slave trade, the traditions never died—they merely transformed.
But they discovered a clever way around that problem. However, cities weren’t just the seat of political power—they also played an important role in cultural development.

They eventually became the most urbanized Africans of … One such group which has been gaining international attention for their arts, music, and role in African history are the Yoruba. And though outsiders may never understand the full scope of Yoruba, we can explore the roots of its pervasive influence on the mainstream. Also known as Àwon omo (which literarily means ‘The Children of Yoruba), the Yoruba tribe reportedly constitute over 40 million people generally, including those in Southern and Central Benin.In Nigeria, this wonderful tribe boasts 21% of the population, making them a major tribe and one of the largest ethnic groups in the Western Africa country.The Yoruba are surrounded by some minor ethnic groups in Nigeria as well as in Benin.

Though Santería was conceived as a discreet way to keep Yoruba traditions alive, today, it’s being talked about a bit more openly. If you want to learn everything you never knew about Yoruba people, you have come to the right place.

And, by the 11th century, the Yoruba had become the dominant cultural force in what is now Nigeria. The first epoch is a history of cosmogony and cosmology. music, visual art, pop culture, art history, art gallery, curation, curators, gatekeeping, gatekeepers, Dada, Dadaism, music, wild card, radio, community radio, history, art history, Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music. That means that humans have lived in Africa longer than anywhere else, have had more time to develop distinct cultures, and these cultures have had more time to grow, change, and adapt. But, despite the hard work involved, many people in younger generations are seeking to reconnect with their heritage by consulting with these priests and priestesses (known as santeros and santeras, respectively). In Bey’s recent works, we’ve seen some high profile references to Oshun, the Orisha of fresh water, fertility, love, and sexuality—most notably, in the visual album that accompanies the singer’s 2016 LP, Lemonade. This motif continued in an underwater maternity shoot with Daniela Vesco, where marigold and maroon fabric encircled Beyonce’s round belly—which, interestingly, contained twins. Depictions of Santería are also showing up on TV. They are, in fact, not a single group, but rather a collection of diverse people bound together by a common language, history, and culture.

The song’s music video integrates symbolism and rituals from Santería. Historic Yorubaland. The Yoruba religion has been described as a folk philosophy, a system of belief developed to give meaning to the physical and spiritual worlds. One prominent example is Ibeyi, a musical duo comprised of French-Cuban twin sisters Lisa and Naomi Diaz, and named for the Orisha depicted by a pair of twins. Even if you’ve never heard of the Yoruba, it’s likely that you’ve been exposed to their culture. Yoruba is an ethnic group which has exciting history and rich culture. It refers to a West African ethnic group, as well as their language and religious philosophy. Under the tutelage of a “godparent”—an experienced priest or priestess—an initiant learns rituals deliberately guarded from outsiders.

To th… Of course, it’s not just Santería that keeps the Yoruba culturally relevant. CC BY-SA 4.0. Yoruba people are a large ethno-linguistic ethnic nation in Western Nigeria, Togo & Benin Republic. But it makes sense. For example, slaves under Spanish colonial rule in Cuba were forbidden from openly worshipping Orishas by their Catholic slave owners.

Find more about Yoruba people history, arts and culture

Theatre artist Taylor Mac is retelling history with a twist. This is the compilation of the most interesting facts about Yoruba culture. What’s even more interesting is how deep these roots go. In 2017, the popular New York City-based rapper Princess Nokia released a single called “Brujas,” (caution: contains strong language, which may be objectionable to some) which details her relationship with ancestral magic. The French-Cuban musical duo, Ibeyi. Image credit: Maya Dagnino. Dressed head to toe in gold attire and noticeably pregnant, Beyonce embodied an impressive depiction of the sacred Orisha.