Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,153,015 members, 7,817,989 topics. Date: Sunday, 05 May 2024 at 02:10 AM

Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others - Culture - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others (72842 Views)

Village In America Where The Yoruba Culture Is Being Practiced (Photos) / Igbo Or Ibo? / I Am Not Igbo, I Am Ikwerre! (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (Reply) (Go Down)

Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by NSNA: 1:27am On Mar 23, 2013
I watched a film 'Kori Kotok on Youtube.

As i was impressed with the poetry and culture i decided to search online hoping to get more info.

Surprisingly all i am getting are stories from various Latin American websites.

What is it about the Yorubas that the culture has survived in almost a dozen Latin American countries simultaneously?

Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay, Argentina, Haiti, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States

http://yorubanation.net/atlantic-yoruba-and-the-expanding-frontiers-of-yoruba-culture-and-politics/
http://www.howard.edu/library/reference/cybercamps/camp2002/YorubaFaith.htm

Some of this countries even practice some of the lost cultures in Yoruba land itself.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Pld1UWXcE

19 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 2:22am On Mar 23, 2013
That's a very interesting question.

4 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by FXKing2012(m): 6:14am On Mar 23, 2013
Because Yorubas used "juju"...

18 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Abagworo(m): 6:48am On Mar 23, 2013
Maybe you mean aspects of language and culture in what we now call Yoruba because Yoruba wasn't in existence then. Most African cultures are represented but Yoruba(as we know it today) may be the loudest because they went there more recently than others.

3 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Akshow: 6:51am On Mar 23, 2013
Abagworo: Maybe you mean aspects of language and culture in what we now call Yoruba because Yoruba wasn't in existence then. Most African cultures are represented but Yoruba(as we know it today) may be the loudest because they went there more recently than others.
you made no sense at all. Pray, what exactly is your point?

139 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Abagworo(m): 7:52am On Mar 23, 2013
Akshow: you made no sense at all. Pray, what exactly is your point?

Igbo, Yoruba and other recently formed identities are very much alive in South America. Maybe the thread was started by someone who is not aware that the Calabari/Carabali is very much active in South America even more than other groups. Calabari comprises mostly of Igbo, Efik/Ibibio and Ijaw who were known as one ethnic group then with the subgroups used as a suffix to explain the specific origin.


A great diversity of peoples brought to the Americas from the Niger Delta and Cross River Basin were labeled by merchants as Carabalí, as Cuban historian Des- champs discovered: “The carabalí. The tribes brought to Cuba under this denomi- nation are innumerable . . . part of those [“carabalí’] who founded cabildos respond- ed to the following denominations: Abalo, Acocuá, Agro, Apapá, Bibí, Bogre, Bogre Isuama, Abate Singlava, Brícamo, Ecunaso, Ibo Induri, Isicuato, Isiegue, Isuama, Isuama Aballa Ocuite, Isuama Ibi, Isuama Isiegue, Isueche, Oquella, Ososo, OsosoEche, Ososo Omuma, Oxó, Ugri, Unigini, Aballa Otopa, Isuama Umofina, Isuama Osulerisna, Orú, Elugo, Orate, Bané, Yudusi.”13 Of this partial list of thirty-three ethnic denominations, only five survived into the twentieth century as components of the Abakuá society (Efí, Efó, Orú, Bibí, Suáma); today there are two main ethnic lineages: Efí and Efó, with Orú as an important third lineage.

23 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by ifyalways(f): 2:29pm On Mar 23, 2013
It could be because a vast majority of the Igbo salves settled at places like Georgia,Maryland,Virginia and embraced the white man's religion fully undecided

18 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by NegroNtns(m): 2:30pm On Mar 23, 2013
Abagworo: Maybe you mean aspects of language and culture in what we now call Yoruba because Yoruba wasn't in existence then. Most African cultures are represented but Yoruba(as we know it today) may be the loudest because they went there more recently than others.

Yoruba had always been in existence. Ive heard people say it was a name given by Hausa, I wonder where Hausa got the name from. Yoruba and Yauri are the same people and settled in the same migrant epoch, one settled South, the other went North. Egba, Ijebu, Ijesha, Awori, Ugbo, Itsekiri....these were all members in the Yoruba nation but only Oyo was known as Yoruba back then.

Yoruba is dominant in the Americas because in the struggles to freedom and self-rule Yorubas were actively involved particularly in South Americas. Also, the Yoruba slaves were in the elite class of the slave communities in both North and South America. If order of arrival would explain the lasting cultural footprint then Fulani should be the culture surviving and not Yoruba.

63 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by pazienza(m): 3:34pm On Mar 23, 2013
Negro_Ntns:

Yoruba had always been in existence. Ive heard people say it was a name given by Hausa, I wonder where Hausa got the name from. Yoruba and Yauri are the same people and settled in the same migrant epoch, one settled South, the other went North. Egba, Ijebu, Ijesha, Awori, Ugbo, Itsekiri....these were all members in the Yoruba nation but only Oyo was known as Yoruba back then.

Yoruba is dominant in the Americas because in the struggles to freedom and self-rule Yorubas were actively involved particularly in South Americas. Also, the Yoruba slaves were in the elite class of the slave communities in both North and South America. If order of arrival would explain the lasting cultural footprint then Fulani should be the culture surviving and not Yoruba.

Nonsense! Yorubas never led any struggle in the new world,than the igbos. The igbos had established the ibo republic of palmeras in brazil,which one did yorubas establish?

Like someone already said,yoruba culture appears dominant in latin america,cos they were the later group to arrive there,by which time the europeans had slowed down on their earlier anti-african religion and culture stance,which the earlier ethnic groups were subjected under,leading to loss of their culture.

11 Likes 5 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by valena23(f): 4:22pm On Mar 23, 2013
[quote author=pazienza

Like someone already said,yoruba culture appears dominant in latin america,cos they were the later group to arrive there,by which time the europeans had slowed down on their earlier anti-african religion and culture stance,which the earlier ethnic groups were subjected under,leading to loss of their culture.[/quote]

I agree with this. The Yoruba were one of the later groups to be enslaved and the slave masters in latin America were not as brutal/harsh compared to those in north America. This would've allowed the slaves to hold on more to their culture than their counterparts.

3 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 4:47pm On Mar 23, 2013
^^^I don't think it has anything to do with that... The last slaves to land on the shores of USA were part of the Igbo landing in Virginia, however that never changed anything there...

I personally think it has more to do with the level of spirituality and consciousness in Yoruba culture and how rich the language... Even places like: Haiti, Jamaica etc. that had few Yoruba slaves, the few slaves still left an impact on those country... I've met Jamaicans with Yoruba first names in the UK, especially those from the New Cross area where Yoruba slaves settled..

This isn't to say that one culture is more superior to the other - Yoruba culture is just deeper in the lives of most people of Yoruba descent - it's like an in-born thing... Heck, modern day Yorubas even Yorubanised Christianity into the white garment churches which were the first African churches we had in diaspora before the pentecostal churches came in the late 90s and early 20s... Most of us were born in white garment churches out here...

92 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by NSNA: 8:31pm On Mar 23, 2013
This isn't to say that one culture is more superior to the other - Yoruba culture is just deeper in the lives of most people of Yoruba descent - it's like an in-born thing... Heck.

true that, Youruba people don't even shy away from their language, in various countries you will here Yoruba speaking their language in public.

62 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by TheBookWorm: 5:29am On Mar 24, 2013
As someone of African American descent, I can help explain this conundrum.

Slavery in the British colonies was far different than slavery in the Portuguese colonies. The planters (plantation owners) made a concerted effort to make sure that they mixed up the tribes on their various plantations. They did not want members of the same group to be on one plantation, because they feared a slave rebellion which was an ever present fear. Read about Nat Turner's rebellion. Igbos were mixed up with Akan, Woloof, Fulani etc. Plus, drumming, speaking their indigenous language, and any other cultural aspects were forbidden.

The enslaved Africans found in Brazil did not have to be subject to this, because the Portuguese planters did not care if members of one group could be found on one plantation. That is why many aspects of Yoruba culture can be found in Brazil as well as in the Spanish colonies.

If you look at the former British colonies, you can still see the African presence, but it is nothing compared to what is seen in Brazil. There is a reason for that. I hope that helps.

34 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by tonychristopher: 9:06am On Mar 24, 2013
hope the other aspect of yoruba culture was retain like dirtyness,back bitting, fetishness, infedelity and cowardice.... i hope the so call accross pacific ocean retain this.DOES THIS CHANGE THE PRICE OF CRUDE OIL IN THE MARKET PLACE...B.U.LL.SH.I.T.T

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by NSNA: 12:18pm On Mar 24, 2013
TheBookWorm: As someone of African American descent, I can help explain this conundrum.

Slavery in the British colonies was far different than slavery in the Portuguese colonies. The planters (plantation owners) made a concerted effort to make sure that they mixed up the tribes on their various plantations. They did not want members of the same group to be on one plantation, because they feared a slave rebellion which was an ever present fear. Read about Nat Turner's rebellion. Igbos were mixed up with Akan, Woloof, Fulani etc. Plus, drumming, speaking their indigenous language, and any other cultural expect was forbidden.

The enslaved Africans found in Brazil did not have to be subject to this, because the Portuguese planters did not care if members of one group could be found on one plantation. That is why many aspects of Yoruba culture can be found in Brazil as well as in the Spanish colonies.

If you look at the former British colonies, you can still see the African presence, but it is nothing compared to what is seen in Brazil. There is a reason for that. I hope that helps.

best answer yet

7 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by ezeagu(m): 2:36pm On Mar 24, 2013
Yoruba indentured servants were still arriving in places like Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil way after most European nations had abandoned buying slaves from Africa.

By the way, Efik and aspects of their culture still exists in the Cuban abacua society. Many aspects of Brazilians culture like Candomble and music comes from Angola.

2 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by TheBookWorm: 4:47pm On Mar 24, 2013
ezeagu: Yoruba indentured servants were still arriving in places like Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil way after most European nations had abandoned buying slaves from Africa.

By the way, Efik and aspects of their culture still exists in the Cuban abacua society. Many aspects of Brazilians culture like Candomble and music comes from Angola.

You also forget that in Trinidad & Tobago, some people still practice Obeah. I think that is a derivative of traditional Igbo spirituality.

4 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Afam4eva(m): 12:54am On Mar 25, 2013
TheBookWorm: As someone of African American descent, I can help explain this conundrum.

Slavery in the British colonies was far different than slavery in the Portuguese colonies. The planters (plantation owners) made a concerted effort to make sure that they mixed up the tribes on their various plantations. They did not want members of the same group to be on one plantation, because they feared a slave rebellion which was an ever present fear. Read about Nat Turner's rebellion. Igbos were mixed up with Akan, Woloof, Fulani etc. Plus, drumming, speaking their indigenous language, and any other cultural aspect was forbidden.

The enslaved Africans found in Brazil did not have to be subject to this, because the Portuguese planters did not care if members of one group could be found on one plantation. That is why many aspects of Yoruba culture can be found in Brazil as well as in the Spanish colonies.

If you look at the former British colonies, you can still see the African presence, but it is nothing compared to what is seen in Brazil. There is a reason for that. I hope that helps.
This answer makes more sense.

4 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by mainman7(m): 4:55am On Mar 25, 2013
valena_23: Yes you are definitely right. Right from time, Yorubas valued the sanctity of life and were not rushing to sell their brethren for money unlike the igbos, until the colonial masters' violent raid could no more be withstood and they started taking slaves. igbos are fools,and bloody senseless liars like achebe,twisting history. igbos rather flatter themselves and falsely use mouth to spoil others' image. igbo unity is FAKE! they kill themselves for money with ease. Unlike igbos, Yorubas know that LIFE is more than money. Cynthia, that beautiful girl was severally Molested and killed by 4 igbos for money. This year alone so many ritual killings in igbo land, 38 people were killed and dumped in a Ezu River in Anambra, 12 toddlers were killed in another...several unresolved killings for money in igbo land, what a people. igbos are fools,and bloody senseless liars like achebe,twisting history. I don't know any other tribe that is as ungrateful as d igbos. d Thoughtful Yorubas accepts them like brothers yet they rant about us. They are cowards, hausas are slaughtering their brothers like rams in the North, they do nothing.igbos always think they r d wisest and that is why they are fools who think life is only about money.igbos r d Genesis of d problem of dis country,traitors who spared their greedy leaders in January 29,1966 Coup.The civil war would not have happened. Yorubas don't betray, read history, ur useless father azikwe started d betrayal thing when Awolowo helped him to d top and he didn't fulfill his part of their agreement.in d January 1966 igbo coup,Brgd Ademulegun, Col Fajuyi and other Great Youruba Millitary Men were killed, as usual d ever deceitful igbos, against the agreement, told their greedy leaders to skedaddle. igbos must apologize to d Yorubas now!d YORUBAS are already uniting and getting ready for u people. igbos or hausasfulani, what u want is want u shall get from us, Peace or War![/b]

57 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by 4chi: 8:31pm On Mar 29, 2013
tonychristopher: hope the other aspect of yoruba culture was retain like dirtyness,back bitting, fetishness, infedelity and cowardice.... i hope the so call accross pacific ocean retain this.DOES THIS CHANGE THE PRICE OF CRUDE OIL IN THE MARKET PLACE...B.U.LL.SH.I.T.T

See where envy and petty jealousy has driven you. You are no different from a rabid infested dog. Was it the fault of the yorubas that your fathers were primitive,naked wild living mongrels? Food gatherers and cave men? You wish you were Yoruba but since your chi has decided otherwise, learn to live with it.

Forget all the crap being spewed above,the Yoruba culture survived in the diaspora because IT IS THE MOST RESILIENT CULTURE FROM AFRICA AND IT'S SPIRITUALITY IS WORLD ACCLAIMED UP TILL TODAY. Yorubas don't owe anybody any apology for that after all, aji se bi oyo la nri, oyo o se bi baba enikankan .

Ask yourself which other African group has anything as deep as the ifa corpus coupled with impressive pantheon of gods which aremore than that of the Greek mythology. Yorubas have always been the initiator and not the immitators in matters of culture or why do you think the rest of Nigeria now tie gele, wear aso ebi and aso oke, adire, etc, etc other cultures will continue to imitate but you will never see a Yoruba man tie wrapper. Eewo Orishas!!

158 Likes 14 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by ezeagu(m): 3:29pm On Mar 30, 2013
TheBookWorm:

You also forget that in Trinidad & Tobago, some people still practice Obeah. I think that is a derivative of traditional Igbo spirituality.

Yes, it does. And Igbo words are used in everyday Caribbean speech in a way that a lot of others aren't.

1 Like

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by ezeagu(m): 3:31pm On Mar 30, 2013
mainman7: [b]Yes you are definitely right. Right from time, Yorubas valued the sanctity of life and were not rushing to sell their brethren for money unlike the igbos, until the colonial masters' violent raid could no more be withstood and they started taking slaves. igbos are fools,and bloody senseless liars like achebe,twisting history. igbos rather flatter themselves and falsely use mouth to spoil others' image. igbo unity is FAKE! they kill themselves for money with ease. Unlike igbos, Yorubas know that LIFE is more than money. Cynthia, that beautiful girl was severally Molested and killed by 4 igbos for money. This year alone so many ritual killings in igbo land, 38 people were killed and dumped in a Ezu River in Anambra, 12 toddlers were killed in another...several unresolved killings for money in igbo land, what a people. igbos are fools,and bloody senseless liars like achebe,twisting history. I don't know any other tribe that is as ungrateful as d igbos. d Thoughtful Yorubas accepts them like brothers yet they rant about us. They are cowards, hausas are slaughtering their brothers like rams in the North, they do nothing.igbos always think they r d wisest and that is why they are fools who think life is only about money.igbos r d Genesis of d problem of dis country,traitors who spared their greedy leaders in January 29,1966 Coup.The civil war would not have happened. Yorubas don't betray, read history, ur useless father azikwe started d betrayal thing when Awolowo helped him to d top and he didn't fulfill his part of their agreement.in d January 1966 igbo coup,Brgd Ademulegun, Col Fajuyi and other Great Youruba Millitary Men were killed, as usual d ever deceitful igbos, against the agreement, told their greedy leaders to skedaddle. igbos must apologize to d Yorubas now!d YORUBAS are already uniting and getting ready for u people.igbos or hausas, what u want is want u shall get from us,Peace or War![/b]

The most notorious slave raiding and trading empire in Nigeria was Oyo which carried on selling people after the1830s. Igbo people can't compete with that because there was no massive empire.

15 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by ezeagu(m): 3:37pm On Mar 30, 2013
4chi:

See where envy and petty jealousy has driven you. You are no different from a rabid infested dog. Was it the fault of the yorubas that your fathers were primitive,naked wild living mongrels? Food gatherers and cave men? You wish you were Yoruba but since your chi has decided otherwise, learn to live with it.

Forget all the crap being spewed above,the Yoruba culture survived in the diaspora because IT IS THE MOST RESILIENT CULTURE FROM AFRICA AND IT'S SPIRITUALITY IS WORLD ACCLAIMED UP TILL TODAY. Yorubas don't owe anybody any apology for that after all, aji se bi oyo la nri, oyo o se bi baba enikankan .

Ask yourself which other African group has anything as deep as the ifa corpus coupled with impressive pantheon of gods which aremore than that of the Greek mythology. Yorubas have always been the initiator and not the immitators in matters of culture or why do you think the rest of Nigeria now tie gele, wear aso ebi and aso oke, adire, etc, etc other cultures will continue to imitate but you will never see a Yoruba man tie wrapper. Eewo Orishas!!

There was an Igbo settlement in Belize and a Akan-Maroon village in Jamaica. There have been massive contributions by all kinds of African groups to the world. The Kongo language has even enriched many languages with words like zombie and jumbo, so I don't know how you were able to judge which was the most resilient culture when there are people in Cuba that speak Efik and Caribbean English uses mostly Akan-Igbo derived African words.

7 Likes 1 Share

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 9:53pm On Apr 04, 2013
TheBookWorm: As someone of African American descent, I can help explain this conundrum.

Slavery in the British colonies was far different than slavery in the Portuguese colonies. The planters (plantation owners) made a concerted effort to make sure that they mixed up the tribes on their various plantations. They did not want members of the same group to be on one plantation, because they feared a slave rebellion which was an ever present fear. Read about Nat Turner's rebellion. Igbos were mixed up with Akan, Woloof, Fulani etc. [size=18pt]Plus, drumming, speaking their indigenous language, and any other cultural aspects were forbidden. [/size]

The enslaved Africans found in Brazil did not have to be subject to this, because the Portuguese planters did not care if members of one group could be found on one plantation. That is why many aspects of Yoruba culture can be found in Brazil as well as in the Spanish colonies.

If you look at the former British colonies, you can still see the African presence, but it is nothing compared to what is seen in Brazil. There is a reason for that. I hope that helps.

the enlarged is true but the red is not.

Speaking in native tongues, performing central african martial arts and playing the drum were all outlawed in brazil (and in all latin/caribbean territories). a slave risked being killed or beaten for violating this rule. they used to separate the slaves and force them to mix with other africans a technique the british would later adopt.

This issue has been talked about and debunked by me too many times...i will post links soon!!

For the LAST TIME the Yoruba were the last to arrive in enough numbers to influence those around them. Unlike the English speaking colonies, it wasn't hard to sneak in slaves in the Romance-speaking territories of the caribbean and latin america post-Abolition era. So you were getting illegal slaves from Africa(the yoruba) even as late as the 1800s.

The text i've enlarged from the post above added with this fact is the reason why western blacks in the caribbean/latin america have taken on Yoruba as the default culture to connect with "the motherland". It's kind of like African Americans and Swahili/Kwanzaa. They are not Kiswahili..yet a lot of them have taken on the language and customs to connect with Africa in order to have an "identity". It's the same with us south of the US border only Yoruba instead of Swahili.

A lot of the ppl in the west who speak yoruba or practice santeria are not necessarily descendants of Yorub the. They are descendants of slaves from all over west and central africa who because of their forefathers being forced to abandon their traditions, decided to take on the Yoruba culture to connect with "mama africa".

Negro_Ntns:
Yoruba is dominant in the Americas because in the struggles to freedom and self-rule Yorubas were actively involved particularly in South Americas. Also, the Yoruba slaves were in the elite class of the slave communities in both North and South America. If order of arrival would explain the lasting cultural footprint then Fulani should be the culture surviving and not Yoruba.

^^^^this is not true on so many levels. First of all the Fulani, Kongo and "Christianized" west Africans of the Iberian peninsula were the FIRST people to be enslaved. So by the time slavery became big business, those people and their descendants had long lost their unique "identities".

second the Yoruba (no offense) were not known as the warriors in the new world. The Akan, Igbo and the Kongo-Angolan (especially the Kongo and Akan!!!!) were the "badasses". They even evoked fear in their slave masters who REFUSED to have certain amounts on any given plantation. In fact they were the least favorite of the enslaved. grin

Lastly, the Yoruba was not part of any "elite" group undecided.
The Yoruba came en mass after the system of slavery became largely unfavorable. The "enlightenment era": Where there were just as many abolitionists as there were "pro-enslavement" folks thus the reason they were not put under the same harsh treatments as those before them who suffered amputations, beatings, and other atrocities for simply beating drums. The Yoruba were "allowed" to continue their traditions which other Africans took on to connect with Africa.

brb with more info/links

9 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 10:02pm On Apr 04, 2013
ezeagu:

There was an Igbo settlement in Belize and a Akan-Maroon village in Jamaica. There have been massive contributions by all kinds of African groups to the world. The Kongo language has even enriched many languages with words like zombie and jumbo, so I don't know how you were able to judge which was the most resilient culture when there are people in Cuba that speak Efik and Caribbean English uses mostly Akan-Igbo derived African words.

True. EVERY SINGLE AFRICAN GROUP of people who were enslaved in the caribbean/latin america left their mark. Every single one. Not one country or territory is mostly anything. We are a blend of all.

The whole concept of Yoruba vs. Igbo is extremely irrelevant when talking about us because truth be told, even though we are influenced by all of the west africans who were enslaved..STILL no west african group has influenced the caribbean and latin america like the Kongo peoples of central africa, generally speaking.

west africa gave us dialects and certain superstitions...but when it comes to lifestyle, music and dance...the kongo-angola area (any historian or expert on caribbean cultures will tell you) has the largest influence. whenever you hear dancehall, rumba, samba, merengue, salsa, calypso, soca; etc you are listening to central africa. literally...so....

we're an all around diverse group of people. we can't be boxed in to any one group...another reason why it's not wise to assume the practicing of yoruba language/customs = yoruba domination/superiority.

2 Likes

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 10:25pm On Apr 04, 2013
NRI PRIEST:


But you have been told countless time that the orisha culture was more prominent because the portuguesse masters were fast becoming more lenient during the dieing days of slave trade which happen to be when the yoruba slave arrived brazil. The already settle slaves who were from mozambique,angola,congo and mauritius had already lost most of their culture due to the brutal and harsh way the masters handled them. When the yoruba arrived they were fresh and the central Africans embraced the culture they arrived with the orisha voodoo worship. --

*i edited the -- part to prevent offending anyone.

outside evidence:
culled from: http://www.historytoday.com/john-geipel/brazils-african-legacy

It was these comparative latecomers who were to leave their indelible imprint on the culture of their new home.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with the undiminished demand for unpaid labour, the Slave Coast of Nigeria became the primary source – whence the late survival in Brazil of traditions rooted in the culture of the Yoruba and the Fon (better known in Brazil by their alternative African nicknames, Nagô and Gegê)

according to that same site it was the fulani and tribes from Kongo and even Mozambicans that were sent early on while the yoruba were sent to Brazil in bulk much later.
Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 11:23pm On Apr 04, 2013
now this is interesting!!!!!

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 3:43am On Apr 05, 2013
MSD

Hey sis, don't generalise by using what happened in Jamaica(a country that never had that much Yoruba slaves apart from the few taken to New Cross) as a yardstick for what happened all over the Caribbean and South America during slavery... How could you call the Akan badazzes and critique the Yoruba in the same sentence?? You mean the same Akan people that were crushed by the Yoruba in Africa - and had to pay tributaries to Oyo for a long time, no?? Just because the Maroons were rebellious and they left an imprint on Jamaica - that doesn't mean the Akan were stronger than the Yoruba slaves... Heck, I've met Jamaicans/Rastas out here who still believe most Jamaicans are of Yoruba descent... And there are a lot of Jamaicans with Yoruba first names out here as well... As for the Igbo slaves, they were not rebellious - they were suicidal... A lot of Igbo slaves committed suicide in the new world...

No matter how you look at it, every country in the new with a decent population of Yoruba slaves had a Yoruba imprint on it - from Tobago to Venezuela... Heck, even the presidential villa in Barbados has a Yoruba name... Despite the fact that most of the slaves taken there were Igbo and Yoruba....

Another thing you failed to point out is that the biggest/greatest slave revolt in South America was initiated and executed by Yoruba muslims called: Imale... So, they were not badazzes, yet they organised a well-planned revolt in Bahia, no?

Imale Revolt in Bahia:

The Malê Revolt (also known as The Great Revolt) is perhaps the most significant slave rebellion in Brazil. On a Sunday during Ramadan in January 1835, in the city of Salvador da Bahia, a small group of black slaves and freedmen, inspired by Muslim teachers, rose up against the government. (M[b]uslims were called malê in Bahia at this time, from Yoruba imale that designated a Yoruba Muslim[/b].

Fearful that the whole state of Bahia would follow the example of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) and rise up and revolt, the authorities quickly sentenced four of the rebels to death, sixteen to prison, eight to forced labour, and forty-five to flogging. The remainder of surviving leaders of the revolt were then deported back to Africa by the authorities; it is believed that some members of the Brazilian community in Lagos, Nigeria, Tabom People of Ghana are descended from this deportation, although descendants of these Afro-Brazilian repatriates are reputed to be widespread throughout West Africa (such as Sylvanus Olympio, the first president of Togo). The term "Aguda" on the other hand refers to the mainstream, predominantly Christian Brazilian returnees to Lagos who brought Roman Catholicism in their wake; which is why that denomination is often referenced in Yoruba as "Ijo Aguda" (The Portuguese Church). Fearing the example might be followed, the Brazilian authorities began to watch the malês very carefully and in subsequent years intensive efforts were made to force conversions to Catholicism and erase the popular memory and affection towards Islam. However, the African Muslim community was not erased overnight, and as late as 1910 it is estimated there were still some 100,000 African Muslims living in Brazil.

Many consider this rebellion to be the turning point of slavery in Brazil. While slavery existed for more than fifty years following the Malê Revolt, the slave trade was abolished in 1851. Slaves continued to pour into Brazil immediately following the rebellion, which caused fear and unrest among the people of Brazil. They feared that bringing in more slaves would just fuel another rebel army. Although it took a little over fifteen years to happen, the slave trade was abolished in Brazil, due in part to the 1835 rebellion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%AA_Revolt

22 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by odumchi: 7:11am On Apr 05, 2013

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by ezeagu(m): 8:17pm On Apr 05, 2013
shymexx: MSD

Hey sis, don't generalise by using what happened in Jamaica(a country that never had that much Yoruba slaves apart from the few taken to New Cross) as a yardstick for what happened all over the Caribbean and South America during slavery... How could you call the Akan badazzes and critique the Yoruba in the same sentence?? You mean the same Akan people that were crushed by the Yoruba in Africa - and had to pay tributaries to Oyo for a long time, no?? Just because the Maroons were rebellious and they left an imprint on Jamaica - that doesn't mean the Akan were stronger than the Yoruba slaves... Heck, I've met Jamaicans/Rastas out here who still believe most Jamaicans are of Yoruba descent... And there are a lot of Jamaicans with Yoruba first names out here as well... As for the Igbo slaves, they were not rebellious - they were suicidal... A lot of Igbo slaves committed suicide in the new world...

No matter how you look at it, every country in the new with a decent population of Yoruba slaves had a Yoruba imprint on it - from Tobago to Venezuela... Heck, even the presidential villa in Barbados has a Yoruba name... Despite the fact that most of the slaves taken there were Igbo and Yoruba....

Another thing you failed to point out is that the biggest/greatest slave revolt in South America was initiated and executed by Yoruba muslims called: Imale... So, they were not badazzes, yet they organised a well-planned revolt in Bahia, no?

How can you say the Igbo weren't rebellious then shoot yourself in the foot by mentioning Barbados, the most Igbo place in the Western hemisphere. The nickname for Barbados, Bem, is Igbo, the national hero and major slave revolt leader of Barbados, Bussa, is Igbo. Igbo people have rebellions named after them in Jamaica like the 1815 Igbo conspiracy, and 1816 Black River rebellion.

You keep making noise about Igbo not having any presence in Jamaica as if the biggest contributors to Patois aint Igbo, or as if the main shaman system, Obeah, isn't Igbo. Igbo people have a whole African-American folk-story centered around them, forget a village, they had an entire section of Belize City named after them. Can you show me another Equiano, with an African name calling themselves African and specifically identifying with their ethnic group? Can you tell me any African word that used as much as 'unu' and 'de/di' in the Caribbean?

16 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Why Did Yoruba Culture Survive In Latin America And Not Igbo Or Others by Nobody: 9:06pm On Apr 05, 2013
LMAO!! Guys (shymmex & Ezeagu) like i said before:

MsDarkSkin:

[size=18pt]The whole concept of Yoruba vs. Igbo is extremely irrelevant when talking about us[/size]

We are more than just Igbo and Yoruba.
I have acknowledged the contributions of both groups equally as it truly is.

@shymmex where did you see that I used Jamaican culture as the staple or example for all of us? Please show me where. Yeah some Yoruba rebelled but it's documented and fact that they were not feared by the slave traders as the Akan and Kongo were. This is nothing I am making up. It's fact.

What happened between the Oyo Empire and the Akan happened IN AFRICA but in the west Akan and Kongo were the "trouble makers" - most likely to revolt regardless of being faced with death. The igbo too were considered to be "thorns" in the side of the establishment. Again that is not to say the Yoruba did not fight back...some did of course! I am just saying don't try to assume what happened in Africa happened in the Caribbean. Because once again, you guys came at a later time after slavery was at its worse.

2 Likes 1 Share

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (Reply)

Nigeria's National Anthem In Yoruba Language / Pictures Of Ethiopian Women Who Beg To Be Whipped / The Isoko People Of Delta State : Facts & Factlets

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 114
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.