"Yemaya"
Cuban Orisha (Religion of Santeria)
Traditional arranged by Jim Roberts
1998 Calling the Kettle Black Music (BMI)
(This painting by Sandra M. Stanton)
This track was featured on Jim Robert's "Ancient Hand" CD. I was asked to sing the lead on it. It was one of the earliest forays into starting this project, although at the time I had no idea that more than 10 years later I'd be releasing it on "Prism".
Yemaya asesú, asesú Yemaya
Yemaya asesú, asesú Yemaya
Yemaya olodo, olodo Yemaya
Yemaya olodo, olodo Yemaya
Yemaya is the Gush of Spring
The Gush of Spring is Yemaya
The Mother of the Children of Fishes is the Owner of the River
The Owner of the River is the Mother of the Children of Fishes
"Yemaya is the Orisha of the oceans and seas. African slaves were brought on ships across the ocean to the New World. They gave thanks to Yemaya for making the crossing alive. "Like the ocean Yemaya can be calm or turbulent. The oceans gave birth to life as we know it, and Yemaya is called, "The Mother of the Orishas" "Meaning of her Yoruba name: "Yeye mo oja" Mother of the Children of Fishes
Produced by Jim Roberts
Beth Nielsen Chapman - lead vocals
Annie and Marie Burns - background vocals
Richie Stearns - banjo
Jim Roberts - balaphon, shaker, percussion
Nery Arevalo - udu, shaker
Taki Masuko - shaker, percussion
"Yemaya" was recorded in three separate sessions, in separate studios, in the fall of 1996. The first session was recorded by Jim Roberts at Pyramid Studio in Ithaca. Yemaya originally appeared on Jim Robert's CD Ancient Hand.
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