Afro-Atlantic Histories Part 2 – Nereci to ‘Maspi’ After a dozen years of ignorance, in 2018 Old Rope finally discovered the history of Nereci. Not merely the name of an unrequited love interest in a ballad by Brazilian funk singer Djavan, Nereci is in fact a powerful spirit and queen of the sea. Much cooler than the average ex who dumped a muso, right?
I might have learnt about her true provenance faster had I known her by her more common name: Yemanjá (or Iemanjá), a central figure in various religions of the Black Diaspora of Latin America. In Brazil she is one of the seven Orixás (or godlike spirits) in the syncretic Afro-Brazilian religion called Umbanda. […]
