Figure in this songYemoja
The story behind this song
The Yoruba people of West Africa honour a family of divine spirits called the Orisha. Yemoja is the great mother — Orisha of the ocean, of motherhood, and of all the waters of the earth.
This is a song for her, and it's the one I'm proudest of on the whole album. So it goes first.
What to Expect. Rolling shekere and djembe like ocean swells A liquid balafon shimmer over warm highlife guitar A tender maternal female lead with communal choruses West African folk fusion with modern indie production
About Yemoja. In Yoruba tradition, Yemoja is the mother of the waters and the mother of many Orisha. She is the protector of children and the patron of fishermen — when a boat goes out at night, it is Yemoja the people ask to bring their loved ones home. It's said that when her waters broke, they brought forth the rivers, the seas, and the first life itself.
She holds the grieving in the surf and gives them back the dawn. The tide goes out, and the tide always returns.
She teaches that you are held, and that you are never abandoned.
This Song Is For You If You've Ever. Been someone's safe place to come home to Carried a grief you thought was too heavy Needed to be reminded that the tide comes back
Out with the tide and home with the tide. Whatever the water carried off, the water carries back.
These are living traditions, still practiced across West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas today. Traditions vary by region and lineage — respectful corrections are always welcome in the YouTube comments.