SOMETHING WICCA THIS WAY COMES

"Ewoenyemawua"

  Are you God? That's what that means.

Wenye (short version) is my friends "tribal" name. We grew up together in Ho_city. Wenye was very quiet, laid back and very sisterly. She's always been my baby sister. Today, she is known by her stage name Azizaa.

When people grow, they change. You discover new things about yourself. Last week, I was dealing with the rant of Ghana doctors who have abandoned their duty posts and their "you could not become a doctor, so you hate doctors". Yeah, that's the look I had to that. Inner Madea stirred. Have the Cuban Doctors arrived? LOL :)

When you grow, as you grow, you learn about yourself. What makes you jump in the dark, what makes you tick, that which makes you cry and that which makes you strong. I discovered my quest for Liam Neeson outweighed dissecting classes and deciphering inert gasses. Kudos to those that do. I can't do yours and you definitely can't do mine. 

 Azizaa found hers. I think growing up, she wanted to be a  filmmaker.  Today, she's into music. Not any kind of music. Voodoo Music.

Errr, in Ghana? are you nuts? How did my sweet, gentle sister get into voodoo music? who goin' buy it? The Yeve shrine? You are a girl! Only two kinds of music you're allowed to make. One with your hair all prettied up, a white handkerchief in your hands swaying to "Jesus my Redeemer" or a nice body-con dress preferably red.  Heavy make-up, pouted lips and crooning about that sexy guy you gave your heart to. That apple fell way too far from the tree, Azizaa! 


This young lady wants to be different. That glass ceiling that seems to travel above every woman;  she broke hers right after she burned her training bra. Gone are the days when a woman had to cower from criticism and play it safe so she is liked. Liked as in be marry-able. We do everything to find husband. That's our ultimate. A man's property. Any who woman who looks a man in his eyes, a woman who stands up for herself and speaks her mind is either whore or a witch. I settled for whore, Azizaa settled for witch. hahahaha. (pun intended). I love it! Not caring what anyone thinks and definitely not bothered about impressions, Azizaa launched her music career via Azizaa Music.  She's embraced her dark side. 

As norms are being broken all over the world, I am hoping Africa will be begin to embrace difference. Difference is not always bad. Difference is good. 

As an artist, images fascinate me. When I saw Azizaa's behind the scene photos, I was blown away. Nollywood movies need to take a page from this book when it comes to portraying witches. It was mesmerizing. In my usual fashion, I reached out to her and asked, what the heck are you smoking woman? are you not scared of backlash? 

Proud of her chosen path, she said: "It chose me, I did not choose it".

Azizaa: I believe Ghana may be a Christian nation but somewhere deep down they do believe and understand it is our natural way of life. In a strange way, it's embedded in our DNA. We cannot run from it. Naturally, we are spiritual people. As the bible states, give unto Caesar what is for Caesar.Am I concerned what people will think of me? No. Am not. I live according to the commandments, I just pray and worship the way my ancestors did.

To many Africans, to make or even listen to voodoo music, you must be a witch or someone deep into the occult. You and Lucifer may be cousins...twice removed.  So what inspires her? 

Azizaa: "I am inspired by everything around me. Even things I can't see with my eyes. Inspired by the very essence of life. I draw inspiration from things I feel and hear. I am inspired by nature, the universe or multiverse, what ever provokes any kind of feeling or thought. I believe We are all, connected, to everything. I feel connected to a lot. The source. God. Mawu. Gods work is done in so many ways and on different platforms. Voodoo Music just happens to be one of them.

All corners of the earth. I hope growth comes to many, and myself through it. The stigma attached to voodoo is due to fear of not understanding. It's Nature Science. Once you understand that, the rest comes easy. I hope my music can explain better to the world, voodoo is NOT a bad spiritual practice or way a bad way of life. I personally revere the mere forces of nature, let alone our Ancestral Deities. I have to say, the Almighty Creator is one puzzle we humans haven't yet come close to figuring out or understanding. Voodoo tradition explains a lot about the mysteries of nature."

True. We fight what we do not understand. When folks say the white man brought us his God, I vehemently disagree. The African knew Christ. Xebieso, the Ewes call him. The Ashanti's Odumankoma. Nigerians? Amadioha. (where is my Anthropology professor? take a bow).

What the white man brought was a romanticized version, a civilized version, a human rights respecting version, an English translation of these very gods. What traditionalists do is not that much different from what the catholic church does or the Levites did in bible times. A section of people are consecrated to serve the god, they pray through prophets or pray through Mary. The traditionalist also prays through his smaller gods to his big god. Which is a different name in whatever language you speak. I know the limitations of voodoo and its debilitating effects on society and of course, it's abuse. What happens in Christian-dome is none different. Anything that is handled by human beings becomes twisted to suit personal whims and caprices. Personally, I embrace that part of traditional religion that glorifies nature and the wisdom within.

Why should you patronize voodoo music? Same reason you patronize rap, rock and roll, metal music. Does music make your spirit soar? yes it does. You're concerned voodoo music will possess you? I highly doubt that. It is the spirit behind the music that possesses, not the music in itself. Music is to be savored, enjoyed.

Please enjoy the video of Black Magic Woman. The moral: do not judge a book by its cover! After-all, Ewoenyemawua???

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN