Black Spirituality Religion : African Faiths / Religions

Destee

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Do you know anything about this, or people that believe, follow, worship this? The more I'm introduced to all different beliefs, I can't help but wonder why African Faiths / Religions aren't more "popular" amongst African Americans. Is it because we view this type of worship as voodoo or something (I have heard it referred to in this way)? Are we so far removed from Africa and her culture that this is much too foreign for us? I'm just wondering. I've visited a few sites that talk of this but don't know very much about any of it. Can you enlighten me? Share some links?

I've read on one site that African Americans are the only people/culture that don't embrace the faith that grew out of their own culture. It said, we choose to embrace religions of other cultures and so by doing, lessening our own heritage (or something like that). I'll find the link and share it. I found it quite interesting.

Okay, I found the link. It was actually shared by Liviti in another post. While the topic of this page I'm sharing with you seems to focus on African Americans and Islam, I'm sure the same could be said about most any religion, including Christianity. My point in sharing it is not to upset any but rather to point out some of the things this author says in regard to African Americans not worshipping / believing, etc., in a faith or religion that grew from their own African heritage.

http://www.geocities.com/roots_n_rooted/islam.html

Please do share if you have anything (pro or con) to add on.
 
:wave: Hello Songba !!!!!! :wave:

Oh Boy !!! You know I am so very happy you responded to this post, you of all people ... Wow!! Thank You!!!

Your explanation is EXACTLY what I was looking for, a starting point to better understand African Faiths. Wow. You say it's all in the drums??!! Wow. Wow. Wow. This is too kewl. You know what, I work on a site called The Talking Drum. I have been working with this Brother for quite a while and NEVER associated a faith or religion with the name/drums! Wow. As a matter of fact he's a Member of this forum and I'm going to be directing him to this thread so he can add on. He plays the drums too, if no mistake. It's all about the drums? Wow. I'm amazed. As I read your post and re-read it, there was a sickening feeling in me, thinking that this was taken from our ancestors, something so dear to them. Certainly I should have guessed that it was, but to read it and believe what you say, I somehow felt their pain. How tragic.

Okay. You've given me so much to go on. After reading your post I started doing some searching on the net and found quite a few links using the keyword "orisha." It seems that so much of the information was from the perspective of Cubans, Haitians and rarely any "African Americans." I guess this is because we weren't allowed to know these things and the customs (for the most part) died here long ago. So how can we share something we know little about? I did read quite a few references to Voodoo (Vodoun, Vodou, Voudoun, Vaudoun), which was kinda scary, and I'm wondering why. Perhaps because it is so foreign to me and everything I've ever heard about such things are dark and eerie? I don't know. As a matter of fact, there were links to those like Sister Cleo, who would do readings for you and stuff. Why does this frighten me, because I'm so far removed from it?

I did find out from this web site that each person has a guardian spirit called an Orisha and that Orisha are aspects of the Supreme Being manifested in the forces of nature. Is this your understanding too? This site also listed 11 individual Orisha, I wonder if there are more. Do you know? Are the Orisha like the divisions in Christianity or Islam, believing some basic things differently? Do they worship separately? I think I read that there is an Orisha that combines them all and is called something else (Information Overload!) :eeek:

Okay, back to the drums. I found a site that spoke of bata drums. The site talked about how the drums talk and what they say, again from a Cuban (and African) perspective. On this site the author mentioned the fact that there are few left that can "hear" the words the drums are speaking. With language and education being all that it is, it has replaced the art of listening to the drums. Are there other "talking drums" besides the bata?

It is really sad that there weren't more African American perspectives readily available. I'm sure they're out there, I just gotta find them. Since this was not passed down to us from our own ancestors, no matter what we may believe regarding it, will be another person's perception. I'm asking, is that the case? I guess it's no different than any other faith / religion though, they are all brought to us by some other person.

Wow Songba! As you can see, I'm quite fascinated with this. Simply because I know nothing of it and feel as though I should know something about it ... ya know?! Thank you for sharing with me and I'd love for you to give me more information regarding it being illegal (then and now). That's amazing. So afraid of some beating drums that laws are made against them! That's deep. Yes, I want to know more about that.

I've asked lots of questions above, but I don't expect you to try and answer them all for me. They are simply questions that came to mind as I wrote this response. I will work on finding answers as time allows. Just share with me whatever you can.

Again, thank you very much.

Did I thank you for your love? :)

Thank You.
 
Ifasehun ... wow ... it's a small world! How ya doin??!!! How ya Momma 'nem ???!!! :)

As you can see from the date this thread was posted, i've had a desire for quite some time to understand African Religions and Faiths. I've been reading the information you've been sharing on the the forum and it's quite soothing to a soul. Thank You.

I don't know if you know our Brother Liviti, a Member here on the forum, but he was the first to share your site / link. I tried to find that thread for you, but couldn't. I'll keep looking. I then went and visited, and posted it again.

Brother Songba had posted in between the first and second posts above, but then deleted his words. If you (or others) wondered why it looked as though i was speaking to someone ... that wasn't there ... that's why!

Again, thanks for the additional links and information. You've given much.

Much Love and Peace My Brother.

:heart:

Destee
 

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