The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #138380   Message #3171740
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
16-Jun-11 - 08:23 PM
Thread Name: ADD: Songs from Trinidad
Subject: RE: ADD: Songs from Trinidad
The Trinidadian "Orisha" cannot be directly related to pure Yoruba concepts.
Elements of Catholicism and Baptist belief have been added and combined.
Gods have changed or combined characteristics, e. g., Shango has been combined with John the Baptist, and other gods are identified with other saints. Notice "St. Anne" and the "Saint Jonaj" in the song, the latter a combined concept of some kind.
Moreover, elements of Hinduism have been incorporated.

The singer of the song may have been only marginally familiar with the religion.
Most Trinidadians have been raised with Christian beliefs (or Hindu, in the case of the many East Indians).
Over 95 per cent are Christian, Hindu and Moslem. Only about 2% are Orisha or Baptist Shouter, the two that have African elements.

See James T. Houk, "Spirits, Blood and Drums, The Orisha Religion in Trinidad," Temple Univ. Press. Excerpts of this and other books on line.