EGUNGUN (Brazil 1964)


This post is an answer of an previous post about Dahomey's Egungun music. This LP is taken from a fantastic work about Egungun ceremonies in Salvador de Bahia. Recorded in 1964, nothing changed between Benin and Brazil.

oro

"Only the spirits that are specially prepared to be invoked and to materialize can receive the name of Egungun, Baba Egun. The main objective of the cult is to make visible the spirits of the ancestors which act as a link between the living and their forefathers. Thus, the Baba bring to their descenders and believers, their blessings and advice but can not be touched. The Egun must always remain seperated from the living."

Side A:
1. Iba Orisha Iba Onile
Salutation to Onile at the beginning of every ceremony.

2. Osanyin
Three chants praising Osanyin, patron of leaves and medecine.

3. Egunugun Kigbale
Through this chant the ancestors are called to come and embody themselves in the world of the living.

4. Ewo Nile
Warning call, something is going to happen. The ancestor is going to arrive.

5. Oro Abi Oro
This chant expresses the meaning of the rit itself oro), re-enacting the comunity links, bringing happiness, goodness and welfare.

6. Onile Mo Bodo Ile
Baba is arriving, he announces himself saluting the elders and asking permission to come in.

7. Nile Wa Alagbe
Baba sings, encouraging the Alagbe, the ritual musicians.

8. Agboula Ago Nile
When Agboula comes to world, evrything rejoices in happiness

9. O She Wara Wara
Two chants in homage to Shango, divine ancestor of the royal dinasty of Oyo from where the Agboula community traces its origins. Many of the Egun revered today, were in life, Shango worshipers.

Side B:
1. Salutations to Baba Olukutun, head of all the ancestors.

2. Loni Ojo Odun
Two chants of great joy for the annual festival of Baba Olukotum. A burst of rockest intensifies the ceremony.

3. Kiye KiyeBo Iroko
Homage to the Egun of the forefathers that were in lifetime woreshipers.

4. Orisha Wa Iye
A chant calling the entities to come and dance with joy.

5. Afulele Ade
A chant in homage to Oya Igbale, queen and patroness of the Egun.

6.Omi Ro
A most profound chnat that evokes all african ancestry.

7. Aluja
The drums play the Aluja, the favourite rhythm and dance for Shango, head of kings, Alafin of Oyo, owner and patron of fire and thunder.

14 comments:

goro said...

Oro, Thanks very much for this post. I wish there were more recordings out there of this type of music. Thanks for sharing these treasures with all of us.

ish said...

Thanks so much. This is interesting to me since, as a Santero in the US, most of our egun worship has incorporated european spiritualism even though the orisha worship remains more traditionally African.

Tone said...

incredible stuff!

Unknown said...

I live in Salvador, but I havent gone this cerimony. I like very much the third image of this album!!!

Unknown said...

Hello oro, How can I get or hear this recording or the other egun recording from your amazing blog?? it would mean so much to me. Ihave been to Egun ceremonies in Brazil several times.

Thank you so much.

Brian Willson
Baa IFa Adetunde
Oluwo Pasoro

Unknown said...

Maybe you also know about he movie Egungun wrtiten by Dos Santos, I ahve not had any luck getting tht either!

thank you

oro said...

Hello brianwilson,
I just fixed the link
Best regards

Unknown said...

Hello oro - am I missing something or doingsomething wrong how can I hear this ---thanks for taking the itme to answer.


BW

oro said...

link is fixed

brian said...

thank you so much - this is pricless

do you know anything about the flm Egungun? i canot find it anywhere - I ahe even asked the verger instittue in bahia..

thanksagain

B willon

Unknown said...

Great pick once again...

Joshkinho said...

Thank you so much for this treasure !

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this post and for keeping the album download alive! Could someone please upload the rest of the artwork somewhere? There are three images here but two are very small. I would be very grateful! BTW here is the related film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPSCXGRo4RI

It is amazing! :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry, never mind - found the images at another blog. But one of the tracks (B2, Loni Ojo Odun) is missing from the download. Surprised nobody else caught this in 13 years.