I’ve been invited several times by members of the Shrine of Orumilla, an Ifa shrine in Sangre Grande, Trinidad, to document their annual feast. This group has welcomed me and treated me with love and I appreciate them enormously for allowing me into their sacred space. They have allowed me to document several aspects of their worship and I hope to share more with you in the future.
The image above, May in Calendar 2017: Colours of T&T, comes from the end of a flag planting ceremony of the shrine. The members spend a whole day at the point where a river in Salybia meets the sea and begin their annual feast with offerings, oriki and prayers for Oshun, culminating in a flag planting ceremony. Some of you may (or may not know) about the strong links to Yoruba spirituality and culture in Trinidad & Tobago. There are many practitioners of the Yoruba faith Ifa, but beyond that Yoruba culture and facets of many other West African cultures are present in subtle and vibrant ways in Trinidadian food, language, festivals and way of life.
For the past five years I’ve published the calendar, in the beginning as a gift for clients, and now available here in my online shop. I’m going to use this space to share more about these images. It’s all in line with my invitation to you to discover a culture beyond your imagination.
Enjoy
L