Who is Ochún Ibu Aña?

In our Afro-Cuban tradition, we have the path of Ochún Ibú Añá of which many
Owner of the Drums. In our Afro-Cuban tradition, she
Otrupon Ogbe is born. Tradition tells us that he lives on top of a drum that is
different from the Bata and that carries three drums in front of her along with her Ozaín. Her crown
It is the size of your child's head and carries, among other things, three little drums.
hanging.

Another of the characteristics that our tradition attributes to Ochún Ibu Aña is that she is
completely deaf and therefore, five bells must ring at the same time
so that you may listen. In fact, our tradition says that the name can also
to mean: 'that which does not hear the drum, but runs towards it', all of which must be
analyzed in a colloquial way and not 'textual'.

We must see all this in light of history in the Yoruba land itself and be able to
appreciate where this path of the Orisha comes from, starting by seeing, where from
this drum comes to the deity. The story that interests us unfolds in Osogbo, state
from Osun in Nigeria, where Oshun is celebrated with a festival. According to Ogunwale, in his
study "Oshun Festival" in African Arts, (Vol. 4 (4), 1971), the Ochún festival has
a duration of twelve days. The first day has to do with what they call 'Wíwá Osun'
(Search for the goddess Òṣun). To do this, the priest in charge of the Òṣun cult will make visits.
to the house of all the chiefs of Osogbo with songs and drums. The songs that
they sing, emphasizing the recognition of the mystical forces that will be present in the
festival. This is where the use of Bembé arises.

According to Abiodun Aselebe, in his study, Stories of the Ten Towns, (Osogbo; Maseyele
Golden Communication, 2005), the Bembé drum, is known as 'Olúkòrídí'. In
another analysis by G. O Ajibade in Ifé, we can see that Olúkòrídí is the name given to
this drum among the Ijesa, but that in Osun and Oyo, is known as Bèṃbé. This informs us
It shows that the ancestors of Osogbo emigrated from Ijesa lands that were in Osogbo.
what drum was made sacred for Ochún. Doctor Jason Olupona, in his essay 'Òrìṣà
Osu nYoruba Sacred Kingship and Civil Religion in Osogbo, Nigeria (Indiana
University Press, 2001), tells us that the drum has sacred identity: During this
ceremony of the festival, the priests and priestesses of Ochún dance to the rhythm of the
Sacred Bembé drum for Ochún and visits the homes of high-ranking officials.
worship, civil chiefs, and the private homes of the reigning kings in Òṣogbo.

We must be clear that there are different drums used in the annual Festival of
Osogbo, like the Batá, Dundun, Gangan, Bembé, and Ayán, the latter touched by
Ifá drummers. The drums can be used to praise, abuse, or warn.
drums are powerful means of communication during the annual Ochún festival in
Osogbo. It is the drums that announce the day of the festival.

The drums are played to praise Ochún, the Ataoja (Kings) of the past and the
Current Ataoja (king) during the annual festival. During this festival, the Aworo
(Priests of Ochún) play the Dundun drums, while the singers of
Ochún accompanies them with her songs of praise. The Ifá percussionists invoke the
spirit of Ochún and other Orishas, playing the Ayán drums. The festival drums
often they are played to the rhythm of songs in honor of Ochún and the drum keeps giving the
rhythm of the song. While the drums are played to the rhythm of these songs,
men, women and children begin to dance to the beat of the drum.

According to Dr. Oladosu Olusegun from the Department of Religious Studies of the Faculty
of Arts, of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in his essay: Yoruba
Indigenous Drums: An Aesthetic Symbol in Ecological Ritual of the Yoruba People
It says that the celebration of this festival is full of ritual executions since the first.
day. The most significant part of the festival is the period they call Ìwọpópó and the day
of Arugbá. Ìwópópọ́es is a competition that takes place along a road called
Pópó. This event starts on the first day of the festival. Ìwópópọ́es is significant, in the
the sense that the acts of singing and walking have always been associated with cleanliness
spiritual of the city through prayers.

In these acts, the use of the drum is very important, because the drum influences so much.
ritual actions, which are based on words, songs, and dances. During the day, they are observed
different dance stages and people feel ecstatic about the performance displayed
through the influence of the drum. As has already been said, the exhibited drums
during this performance there are bàtá, dùndún, Ayán and many other traditional drums
betrayed by dance groups from different places. However, the most recognized among
the drums for the Ochún festival is the Bembé, due to its sacred character for the
goddess. The chants are directed to her and to her maternal nature towards the inhabitants of
Osogbo can be seen in the songs:

We are calling the child

We are singing about a child
The one who is not afraid of the future,

Where are you going?

The child is singing.

Translation

We are dancing a dance of raising children

We are dancing a children's nurturing dance
We can never dance a shameless dance.
But we can do a parenting dance.

In fact, during the festival, the drums are also used to abuse and criticize the
white religion, that is, Islam and Christianity. The drums are beaten to the rhythm of
the song that goes:

Where is my grandmother living today?

Where are you taking my grandmother today?
The doctor said the child is sick.
Where am I keeping my grandmother today?

Translation

Where did he say I should put my goddess?

Where did he say I should put my goddess?
The man with a horrible turban told me that I should embrace Islam.
Where did you say I should put my goddess?

So it is clear that this path of Ochún is nothing more than the remembrance of the festival.
that belongs to her in Osogbo and that makes her the OWNER of the drums, that go to
to pay tribute to her, because although it is true that she is the owner of a specific drum, which is
in which we place it, all types of ritual drums will greet her. This
the path is a clear form of remembrance of this way of worshiping Ochún in her
homeland.

As part of this remembrance, we can see Ochún's search in the 'Wiwá

"Osun", which may partly explain the fact that for Afro-Cubans, she is
deaf and it takes a lot of effort to find it and the sacredness of the drums
that you use, is the reason why we call her Ochún Ibú Añá. You can now see the
because it must live on a different drum (El Bembé) and three types are placed on it.
different from a drum in front of her.

It is because of all this iconography that we can see that the paths of our Orishas do not
they were more than ploys devised by our elders, in order to preserve
traditions and customs that otherwise could have been lost. It is by knowing
our history, which we will have the logical foundations to understand it and not with
arguments of 'My godmother told me' or 'That's how my godfather did it'. Even worse, it is to fall
in the old tales that many want to wield, about 'No one has the truth'
absolute" or "Knowledge is distributed." This garbage can no longer be valid or accepted.
for our youth, as we can see that if we study and research, if
we may at least be closer to the truth than those who wield these
rubbish, which have done nothing but fill our religion with INVENTIONS and
SCAMMERS.

Your friend always,

Ifá Eagle