CARNIVAL MESSIAH: SHANGO AYE SUNG BY ELLA ANDALL AND PERFORMED BY THE FULL COMPANY

Video moved to . Watch more http://ning.it/1c9zJ6T Shango Aye is based on Handel’s aria “But Who May Abide The Day Of His Coming” Oresha or Shango is a Yoruba derived, West African, non-Christian ritual cult religion that is practised in Trinidad and Tobago, within which over six hundred deities are worshipped. As with other belief systems, there is the notion of one supreme God – Oludumare. There is no written liturgy or sacred book. Shango is one of the principal Yoruba Gods of West Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil. In the Oresha pantheon of deities, Shango, the legendary Alaafin of Oyo, is the Divinity of Thunder, fire and Lightening. In Trinidad and Tobago he has been syncretised with the Catholic Saint ,John The Baptist. For the dramatic purposes of Carnival Messiah, I have however instead, allied the Oresha deity Shango to Jesus Christ. The participants in a Shango or Oresha cult are almost exclusively African creoles though individuals of other races are also active in the cult and there are many roles to be performed by all the celebrants who take part in these feasts. Shango’s parallels in the Caribbean and South America can be found in the Santeria of Cuba, the Voudou of Haiti and the Candomble of Brazil. The cult has acquired many features of Christian belief, particularly Roman Catholic and Baptist and to some extent, those of other African religions. The Ceremonies or ‘feasts’ which generally take place over a period of three nights, finishing each morning at dawn, are held annually from the end of the lenten period to mid-November, and then from New Year’s day to the beginning of lent. Oresha worship is conducted on the land where the Oloran lives. On that land will be found three structures, The Chapelle, the Palais or ‘tent’ and the Paiogun. The Paiogun is the area situated at the entrance of the ‘yard’ or compound. Planted on the Paiogun are the ‘stools’ and ‘flags’ of the Oresha deities. Shango is the God of thunder and lightening, his colours are red and white and his symbol is a Shepherd’s crook. Though all the ceremonial roles in a Shango feast are inter-dependent, that of the drummer is central to the entire preceedings, because it is through the invocation of the drum that the ‘powers’ manifest themselves. The principal participants in a Shango ceremony however, are the ‘Saint Horses’, also known as ‘Saint Children’, ‘Hou’si’, ‘Dancers’, ‘Mediums’ or ‘Adepts’. In Carnival Messiah they are easily identifiable as the main dancers. It is they who become possessed during the ceremony. The arrival of the Oreshas or ‘powers’ are usually characterised by a spasmodic jerking of the body, particularly in the shoulder area. All vestiges of the body’s former personality disappear, this is called the transformation and happens when the ‘Saint Horse’ is ‘claimed’ or ‘mounted’ by the ‘power’. It is this ‘claiming ‘ or ‘mounting’, that transformation of the devotee by his/her God, and in Carnival Messiah specifically, Mary’s possession during the Shango ceremony, that is allied with the Roman Catholic concept of the Immaculate Conception. Carnival Messiah at The West Yorkshire Playhouse 2002 Executive Producer The West Yorkshire Playhouse Book written by Geraldine Connor and Mark Tillotson Music composed by Geraldine Connor and George Friederich Handel Lead Vocals: Ella Andall Lead Dancers: Emayodele Jones, David Hamilton and Donald Edwards Video directed by Yao Ramesar Video filmed and edited by Ashley Karrell Production designed by Wayne Berkeley and Clary Salandy Choreography by Carol La Chapelle Musical Direction Michael Lovelock Artistic Direction Geraldine Connor by CARNIVAL MESSIAH

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Comments

Pan Times December 15, 2011 at 12:08am

@ Sherwin this is the text that is posted with the video -- it is located at this url http://carnivalmessiah.ning.com/video/carnival-messiah-shango-aye
Sherwin Campbell December 14, 2011 at 11:23pm

Oresha or Shango is just a slight variation of what was practiced in Kemet or as most people say Ancient Egypt thousands of years before there was ever a place called Europe. Shango did not acquire features from Christianity, instead it is the other way around. Also, I take great offense to anyone calling my ancestors way of life a cult. Please read the Metu Neter and enlighten yourself.
anne fridal November 30, 2011 at 8:02am

GERALDINE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY A PERFORMER TOURING TO MANY COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD AND BEING EMPLOYED IN USING THEIR TALENTS. CARNIVAL MESSIAH IS ON THE BRINK OF RISING AGAIN.WE WILL NOT LET IT DIE.
anne fridal November 30, 2011 at 7:55am

GERALDINE CONNOR CREATED AND DIRECTED CARNIVAL MESSIAH AND WAS THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR OF ALL THE MUSICALS MENTIONED PLUS MANY MANY MORE. [ STATEMENT QUOTED BY ANNE FRIDAL]
Ade Obawole November 30, 2011 at 5:26am

Aye.Who wrote that?Is it just an individual opinion or what?
anne fridal November 29, 2011 at 4:28pm

GOD BLESS GERALDINE CONNOR AND CARNIVAL MESSIAH, SHE SACRIFICED HER LIFE , GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO MANY WHO ENJOYED THE REWARDS OF HER HARD AND UNENDING LABOUR. I GIVE YOU THANKS FOR BRINGING TO THIS WORLD MANY PRODUCTIONS INCLUDING YAA ASANTEWAA, BLUES IN THE NIGHT , THE HARDER THEY COME, VOUDOU NATION AND MANY MORE. YOU HAVE LEFT AN EMPTINESS IN MANY A HEART SO WE WILL CONTINUE THE WORKS AND KEEP YOUR NAME IN SHINING GLORY. BLESS YOU GERRY AND FINALLY RESTING IN PEACE AWAY FROM MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PAIN. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.

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