The Viceroy of Ouidah

Book Description

In this vivid, powerful novel, Chatwin tells of Francisco Manoel de Silva, a poor Brazilian adventurer who sails to Dahomey in West Africa to trade for slaves and amass his fortune. His plans exceed his dreams, and soon he is the Viceroy of Ouidah, master of all slave trading in Dahomey. But the ghastly business of slave trading and the open savagery of life in Dahomey slowly consume Manoel's wealth and sanity.

"This is Conrad's Heart of Darkness seen through a microscope." --The Atlantic Monthly

"Dazzles and mystifies, with its lush anger, its impacted memory, its gorgeous desolation." --The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

As lush as Ondaatje.......2006-06-06

I can do this book no higher praise than name it in the company of two of my favorite books: Michael Ondaatje's "Running in the Family" and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera." This is the select company of books in which every sentence is to be savored, and each story seems plucked out of a parallel life far more exciting and troubled than ours.

Chatwin is, like Ondaatje, a master of English prose, and a story-teller of immense subtlety and grace. "The Viceroy of Ouidah" packs into its slender frame what many an overstuffed epic can only aspire to.

Shining, but ultimately unsatisfactory.......2004-09-18

I am not a great fan of this novel. For me, this is Chatwin at his most show offy. This book followed hot on the heels of his thumpingly successful debut 'In Patagonia' and Chatwin was clearly garnering a reputation for describing far flung places in an original and inventive way. This he does in the Viceroy of Ouidah, a short biographical novel about the Brazillian Manoel de Silva who rose from poverty and obscurity to become the head of slave trading in Dahomey, now Benin in West Africa. A potentially brilliant framework for Chatwin's prose style to let rip you might think, but I think he goes overboard on the lush descriptions of the geography, climate and people of the regions he illuminates and loses sight of how to really engage the reader in the novel.

This novel was not all that well received when it first came out. His next work 'On the Black Hill' reveived the 1982 Whitbread Literary Award for Best First Novel, overlooking the fact that Chatwin had alreay published Viceroy previously and I think this is telling. I found the novel lacking in the gripping substance, intangible though that may be that really makes a great novel. Like one of the many works of art Chatwin catalogued when he was working at Sotheby's, it is a glistening gem, but beneath the surface, there is little that stirs the soul and lodges in the memory as passages of great fiction do.

Still worth reading though, as Chatwin at his worst is better than many writers at their best.

Remote and Gritty Past Relived!.......2004-09-04

In this text, "THE VICEROY OF OUIDAH," author Bruce Chatwin takes the reader on an engaging journey into the life of Francisco Manoel da Silva, a man who: Became the "best friend" of the King of Dahomey. Was granted the title of Viceroy of Ouidah and a monopoly over the sale of slaves. Fathered "sixty-three mulatto sons and an unknown quantity of daughters." And, whose now black descendants gather each year to "mourn the Slave Trade as a lost Golden Age."

At 155 pages, the reader can easily devour this tantalizing read in one weekend! This is a great book of blended fiction and historical fact. I have been a closet fan of Chatwin for some time and I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for a great book premised on a remote and gritty topic. You'll love it! Five stars. Bravo.

Engaging!.......2004-06-24

After revelling in the experience that was 'Songlines,' I decided to try one of Bruce Chatwin's novels. Africa has long held its spell over me and thus, 'Viceroy of Ouidah,' seemed the obvious choice. At a little over 120 pages, 'Viceroy' is one of Chatwin's shortest works, but don't let its size deter you. Every page is a treasure onto itself and soon you'll be wishing it were longer.

Chatwin, in his never-ending quest to illuminate places that fall well off the beaten track, brings the tiny African nation of Dahomey, known nowadays as Benin, into the light. Home to an indomitable fighting-machine filled with fierce women warriors, a series of cannibalistic tyrant-kings with a penchant for human sacrifice, Dahomey was a place long-feared by the European colonizers. Eventually subdued by the French in 1885, Dahomey, along with neighboring Ghana and Nigeria supplied the Americas with a large portion of its brutalized and very 'unwilling immigrants.'

Chatwin's protagonist is one Francisco Manoel De Silva, a penniless Brazilian sharecropper who longs to find his fortune. Africa captures him in her mesmerizing embrace and Francisco finds himself not only a new home, but also a new life as well, that of a slave-trader. Allying himself with the demented King, De Silva monopolizes the internal slave-trade and soon makes a fortune and a name for himself sending unfortunates back home through the British blockade. His dream is to one day return to his beloved Bahia, rich and respected. As somebody. Instead, he slowly and inevitably becomes part of the continent he has made his home in. Surrounded by his multitude of mulatto offspring, the King's Viceroy slips into the quagmire of his delusions. An outcast at home and abroad, his soul never finds its true solace.

Those familiar with Chatwin's nomad philosophy will find ample material in 'Viceroy.' De Silva's life underscores Chatwin's belief that our earthly existence is ultimately rootless. Chatwin not only mocks the idea that we can eventually 'return home,' but also questions whether we can call any place 'home.' According to Chatwin, constant movement on the road of life is about the best we can hope for.

The novel is artfully structured into two parts. The beginning takes place in modern-day Benin, where De Silva's mixed progeny come to pay their respects to their 'Brazilian' progenitor. Here, Chatwin gives us a glimpse into the chaos of post-colonial Africa, with its coups and fatigue-wearing thugs. The second part goes back in time to the sad story of the Viceroy himself. Tight, vibrant sentences greet you on every page. With Chatwin, it's not only what he says, but rather how he says it that grabs the reader. His descriptions of people and place are some of the richest in recent English letters. Bursting with color, stench and sound, Chatwin brings Africa to our eyes, noses and ears. And with the greatest of economy. Like his master, Hemingway, Chatwin uses the 'nickel and dime' style, but unlike his master, he makes every word paint a picture. In fact, this novel is akin to a giant canvas of virulent and violent images.

If the novel has a weakness, it's the lack of psychology in it. Like one reviewer aptly put it, 'We never get into Francisco's head.' Chatwin has painted a true and luscious tapestry, but he has left the questions and analysis up to us. Not surprising when considering Chatwin's past as an art critic for Sotheby's.

Yet, don't let this minor criticism put you away from reading a brilliant introduction to Chatwin's fiction. Moreover, anybody enraptured with the 'dark continent,' would do well to check out 'Viceroy of Ouidah.'

The Rise and Fall of a Slave Trader.......2001-09-27

For sheer dripping tropical lushness of prose that at the same time is watertight and flowing, nothing can beat Chatwin's VICEROY OF OUIDAH. I have long admired the author's essays, and this is only my second (and far from last) foray into his fiction. Picture to yourself a story in two parts, each occupying roughly half the book. The first is a gathering of Francisco da Silva's descendents years after his death; the second follows his life from its humble beginnings in Brazil to his glory days as a much-loved and much-hated slave-trader and finally ending in his slow undoing in the vortex of passions, jealousies, and greed in the West African society in which he lives.

That same society was described by another great writer almost a century earlier. Sir Richard Francis Burton's A MISSION TO GELELE, KING OF DAHOMEY captures the scene perfectly some 50 years or so after da Silva's passing, including the all-female army regiments of the King and the weird dysfunctionality of his court. Chatwin seems to have taken a few leaves from Burton's book and woven a fascinating study of the rise and fall of a very limited man.

We never really see into da Silva's mind: In the first part of the book, he is merely a revered forefather; in the second, an adventurer whose decline is as precipitate as Citizen Kane's. The King's Amazon warriors howl at his passing: "It was not the leopard that killed him. Not the buffalo that killed him. It was night. Night that killed him." That -- and everything else.

At no time does da Silva understand the irony of his being a slave broker whom the slaving ship captains could trust. We do not follow the slavers to the New World, just see them off at the docks as they begin their grim voyage. The Dahomean kings use da Silva, but profoundly distrust him. When he no longer serves their purpose, they and the whole society in which he lives drive him to the final extremity.

Book Description

W. Joseph Campbell, longtime newspaper and wire service journalist, examines the origins and development of the ethos of independent journalism in two former single-party states in francophone West Africa--Benin and Cote d'Ivoire. In both countries since the late 1980s and early 1990s, a diverse and outspoken press, free of direct state control, has emerged and taken hold. Campbell shows how the ethos of independent journalism can emerge from disparate sources and dissimilar historical legacies, despite prolonged periods of repression and autocratic rule. In Benin, the ethos of independent journalism has been shaped by traditions of expressing dissent through the press--traditions established during the long period of French rule. The etiologies of independent journalism in Cote d'Ivoire include policies of the post-colonial regime that sought to channel and constrain dissent and dissident opinion within state structures. Demonstration effects of freely circulated French-language titles also helped shape and give rise to independent journalism in Cote d'Ivoire. The dominant trend in the press in both countries has been toward daily periodicity--a trend that suggests a resilience and little-recognized hardiness of journalism in Africa. Campbell draws on extensive interviews with Beninese and Ivorian journalists to challenge the pessimism that defines most studies of Africa's press. This is an important study for scholars and researchers of journalism in the developing world, particularly West Africa, and for students of African political life.

Dead Men Don't Leave Tips: Adventures X Africa

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A 10,000 Mile African Odyssey
Great Reading
A Travel Addict's Fix
Images of Africa
Terrific Adventure Read

Dead Men Don't Leave Tips: Adventures X Africa
Brandon Wilson
Manufacturer: Pilgrim's Tales, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0977053644

Book Description

Description: What does it take to follow your dreams? "DEAD MEN DON'T LEAVE TIPS: Adventures X Africa" by Brandon Wilson is an edge of your seat tale about a couple's seven month dream odyssey - 10,000 miles across Africa from top-to-tip. After their "ship of fools" safari turns into a nightmare, they set off across Africa alone. DEAD MEN DON'T LEAVE TIPS takes readers onto the crazed roads of African adventure and into the hearts of its people-while transforming the travelogue into a raw, penetrating, more poignant genre. From the award-winning author of YAK BUTTER BLUES: A Tibetan Trek of Faith. From flap: What does it take to follow your dream? Quite a bit, if your "dream" involves crossing Africa. That's what one couple discovers when they set off on a seven-month overland journey from Morocco to Cape Town. As dedicated independent travelers, they'd already traveled around the world. But was a trans-African odyssey too much for even them? Who do you "cadeau?" How do you create tantalizing dishes from grubs? Or avoid having a spear tossed through your camera? With trepidation, they join an English do-it-yourself overland safari. Flung into the midst of twenty-one odd companions, they're shocked to discover that many of them have never even camped before. And the "guides" know Africa as well as the dark side of the moon. After their dream turns into a nightmare, they eventually set off across Africa-alone. DEAD MEN DON'T LEAVE TIPS is a captivating tale filled with a passion for travel, spontaneity and unbridled adventure. It is often funny, sometimes anguished, yet always real. Nothing is held back or glossed-over. Wilson takes you onto the crazed roads of Africa, through the everyday ups and downs, and into the lives and hearts of its people. He shows us once again that the real joy of travel is the thrill of getting there. Reviews: "Journeys of body and soul in every sense of the word... Interlaced with this honesty and detail are Wilson's beautiful prose, obvious passion for adventure and a deep inquisitiveness about other cultures, making this book a pleasure to read. Highly recommended." ~ Midwest Book Review "A masterful crossroads of characters, exotic places, history and human drama in a rig that never stalls, and allows the devil to drive his own ill-behaved backyard..." ~ Richard Bangs, author of "Mystery of the Nile" "Entertaining and a monument to those who would take on the challenge of land travel across one of the most dangerous, unhealthy continents in the world." ~ Heartland Reviews "Honest, gritty and insightful...it makes the world's most exciting continent read just like that." ~ John Heminway, author of "No Man's Land: A Personal Journey into Africa" "I was swept away by the drama and storytelling...Wilson is never a tourist. He travels heart-first with both feet solidly on the ground and his curiosity always in high gear. He is exactly the right person to be writing travel books for the rest of us." ~ Maui Weekly "Travel writing at its most sublime, a paean to Africa in all her contradictory beauty, and a tribute to the resiliency of those who travel beyond boundaries not only in search of meaning, but also of understanding." ~ C.W. Gortner, author of The Secret Lion "One of the most engaging travel books we have read." ~ RealTravelAdventures.com "Powerful and gripping story...Fascinating, informative, humorous, poignant, surprising...a terrific read from first page to last-would make a popular addition to any personal or community library Travel section." ~ Midwest Book Review, Travel Shelf "Aficionados of travel books will delight in "Dead Men Don't Leave Tips"...a hybrid of Paul Theroux and Tom Robbins, combining the raw frankness and keen observation of Theroux with the intelligent humor & playful language of Robbins...Readers who have a penchant for traveling will happily devour this book and be sorry it ended. I was!" ~ A. Buklarewicz, Reviewer, Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

A 10,000 Mile African Odyssey.......2007-07-03

"Wild, pristine beauty surrounded us as we drove to the base of remote Djomba to establish camp. Towering green peaks sprouted out of ripe clusters of lush vegetation. Massive pyramidal volcanoes rose of the verdant floor suggesting its prehistoric past. Churning, whitecapped rivers cascaded over mountainsides into translucent pools below, and its beauty didn't end with nature." ~ pg. 146

Brandon Wilson is an expert storyteller who masterfully weaves a story of a seven-month odyssey across Africa. His exciting writing style keeps you on the edge of your seat as you journey to the heart of Africa. The detailed descriptions bring the story alive with the sounds, scents and sights of a real-life adventure.

Brandon Wilson is an award-winning writer and photographer who has spent his life exploring the world. He is also a keen observer of human nature and deftly describes the human drama that is ever present in the stories of the overlanders and exotic locales. There are a few photographs to compliment this journey but the writing captures scenes in seconds and transports you to a different time and place.

As Brandon and his partner travel from Mororcco to Cape Town you are invited to vicariously experience every nuance and challenge experienced by independent travelers. He and his partner have a passion for adventure and are inquisitive about the local peoples and unique cultures. They maintain their sense of humor throughout and press on, undaunted towards their final goal. Some of their adventures include:

Hunting with Pygmies
Climbing Africa's Highest Mountain
Meeting Mountain Gorilla
Horseback riding in lion territory
Sitting out underneath the stars by campfires
Watching Antelope and Cape Buffalo graze
Visiting Serengeti National Park
Watching Hippos in Zaire
Experiencing village life and living with locals
Surviving Torrential Rains
Sampling local foods and finding restaurants
Swimming and rafting in African rivers

Through vibrant prose and the eye of an artist, Brandon Wilson paints his recollections with startling clarity. His writing unleashes an immense longing for the experiences he describes. There is a profound beauty of freedom in the way he travels. As they reach Gillman's Point on Mt. Kilimanjaro you can't help but cheer them on to even more exciting adventures like surviving a rafting trip down the Zambezi river.

I can also highly recommend Yak Butter Blues: A Tibetan Trek of Faith. Brandon Wilson's writing is the best travel writing I've ever read and his adventurous spirit is inspiring.

~The Rebecca Review

Great Reading.......2007-05-01

Humorous, insightful and at times moving, this book almost has a taste of the nineteenth century explorer to it as the pair strikes out on their adventure, learning as they go. For those of us that would always take the "comfort route," it's well worth reading!

A Travel Addict's Fix.......2007-01-06

Aficianados of travel books will delight in "Dead Men Don't Leave Tips".Travel is truly an art mastered by few and Brandon Wilson reveals an expertise that inspires. His rich descriptions transport the reader into the unfamiliar and his ability to delve into the cultural core of the humanity he encounters is sure to nourish the spirit.His writing style is a hybrid of Paul Theroux and Tom Robbins, combining the raw frankness and keen observation of Theroux with the intelligent humor and playful language of Robbins.

Africa offers travelers the height of potentiality and Brandon Wilson embraces opportunity with constant relish. Readers who have a penchant for traveling will happily devour this book and be sorry it ended. I was!

Images of Africa.......2006-06-17

"Dead Men Don't Leave Tips" documents a journey across Africa in a manner that lets the reader experience the trip as though they were there. It's a book that makes you realize that, indeed, such things as taking a trip across Africa are actually possible for "regular" people. We see all the problems of arranging the trip, trouble at borders, problems with roads that are not much more than mudholes. It's presented with humor. But then there are the special moments, where the hassles of the trip fade into the background, and the reader is brought face to face with the beauty of Africa. It is these special moments, where the vital beauty of Africa is brought into focus, that stand out for me.

For example, when the author visits gorillas in the mountains, he spends over 90 minutes with a gorilla family, moments that seem to pass in an instant. At one point "... the inquisitive baby climbed down again, this time headed directly toward me. Tottering back and forth, her tiny feet tramped through the tall grass. Finally, she paused just inches away. The pop-eyed, eighteen-inch high, thistle-haired imp stretched out her tiny hand toward me ... she caressed my beard then touched my lips with her slender black finger."

It's these unforgettable moments that make "Dead Men Don't Leave Tips" stand out for me. If you've ever wished you could experience modern Africa, you'll like reading this book.

Terrific Adventure Read.......2006-06-02

DEAD MEN DON'T LEAVE TIPS BY BRANDON WILSON is one of the most engaging travel books we have read. The author and his partner set out to live their dream of crossing Africa from top to tip, not as tourists but as travelers. The difference is that travelers experience the country almost as if they were natives living there, not in full service hotels and fancy restaurants. The author's adventure turned sour in many difficult ways because of the ineptness of the guides they had selected and the group with which they were placed to travel. The couple's seven month honeymoon dream odyssey - 10,000 miles across Africa from top-to-tip. After their "ship of fools" safari turns into a nightmare, they set off across Africa alone. However, being adventurers and seasoned travelers, they perservered through dust, mud, starvation, fever, sickness, being stranded in the desert, and many other situations that are horribly fascinating. We shuddered as they overcame each diffuculty. The trip took over seven months, and they came through it unbelievably in tact to tell their fascinating tales. A must read!

Intifada the Palestinian Uprising Against Israel Occupation

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Intifada the Palestinian Uprising Against Israel Occupation
Zachary Lockman
Manufacturer: South End Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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Ouidah: Social History Of West African (Western African Studies)

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REALLY COOL FACTS

Ouidah: Social History Of West African (Western African Studies)
Robin Law
Manufacturer: Ohio University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Benin | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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West Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0821415727

Customer Reviews:

REALLY COOL FACTS.......2007-04-07

This book is definetely awesome. There is different kind of facts in it. But i'd rather like it more organize in a time frame. Oh well, I recommend this book to whoever wants to know more about Ouidah and its tragic past.

Halfhyde at the Bight of Benin (The Halfhyde Adventures, No. 1)

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Royal Navy on Shore

Halfhyde at the Bight of Benin (The Halfhyde Adventures, No. 1)
Philip McCutchan
Manufacturer: McBooks Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590130782

Book Description

It's the 1890s and Royal Navy Lieutenant St Vincent Halfhyde finds himself out of favor with the Navy and on half-pay ashore when he is summoned to the Admiralty. His mission: to sail to the Bight of Benin in West Africa and spy on the not-so-secret Russian presence there. As a Russian speaker who is familiar with Benin, Halfhyde is confident he's the man for the job--until he runs into Admiral Prince Gorsinski, cousin of the Czar and Halfhyde's former jailer.

Customer Reviews:

Royal Navy on Shore.......2004-09-23

Although a good look at the Royal Navy in the latter part of the 19th Century, this book mainly is a covert operation on shore by a Royal Navy Lt. There is some back story to the character, but not much and you are left wondering how the protaganist got to where he is and faces the problems he does in the Navy. Also, this book has clear bloodlines in the early 20th century works of "boys adventure" stories that were written to show young males how to act in different situations, acceptably that is. The story does have some good points, but little in the way of historical relevance and information. Lots of information is missing to understand the motivations of each of the parties in the book. But, there is action involved and some of the naval information is good to know, especially the new times of steam ships in the Royal Navy. I hope the rest of the books in the series are better now that the intoductions, although short and incomplete, are out of the way.

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YORUBA ARTIST PB
ABIODUN R
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Osun Across the Waters : A Yoruba Goddess in

ASIN: 156098340X

Last Moon Dancing: A Memoir of Love And Real Life in Africa

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I brought this book everywhere with me this summer!
Enlightening!!
OVERWHELMING EMOTION
Insightful!
Unique and honest reading

Last Moon Dancing: A Memoir of Love And Real Life in Africa
Monique Maria Schmidt
Manufacturer: Clover Park Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0962863238

Customer Reviews:

I brought this book everywhere with me this summer!.......2005-09-05

I highly recommend Last Moon Dancing, a memoir of a Peace Corps Volunteer's experience in Africa, by Monique Maria Schmidt. Schmidt's plan was to teach, sacrifice and contribute to an African village. She soon realizes, however, that she has brought more to Africa than planned. Woven into her journey are the memories of her own childhood on a farm in a Mennonite community in South Dakota. Schmidt humorously tries to make sense of it all and soon realizes she is surrounded by love. Schmidt's writing style is engaging and ranges from poetic & profound to blunt & to the point.

Enlightening!!.......2005-08-23

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Last Moon Dancing." The author's candid descriptions about her experiences in an African village while serving in the Peace Corps keep this book interesting and fresh. I enjoyed the "Dear Angela" letters the most. My favorite letter was "Dear Angela, If you want to know what kind of day I've had, smell me." Schmidt's ability to find humor in the day-to-day stress of her African experience makes one marvel at the strength and tenacity of the human spirit. A definite Must-Read!!

OVERWHELMING EMOTION.......2005-07-06

Once I started reading Last Moon Dancing I could not put it down. I felt all emotions from desperate to amused but the most dominate thing I felt was pride. I am proud that young people have the courage and ambition to commite themselves to the aid and education of those with less. It is an awe inspiring story and one that is so fantastic it couldn't be anything but admired

Insightful!.......2005-06-15

I just finished reading this book and was touched by Monique Schmidt's brutal honesty and self-evaluation. Schmidt bares her innermost thoughts to the reader. I found myself laughing out loud and, at times, crying. A very touching book about life, love and her Peace Corps experiences!

Unique and honest reading.......2005-06-03

I loved Monique Schmidt's memoir. Her honest,straight-forward account of her years in the Peace Corps in Africa is brutal, beautiful and witty. Woven through her African experience are connections to her childhood and early adulthood, but not always in the usual prose format. There may be a poem or an anecdote. Some of the revelations will anger the reader; some will shock, but throughout, you know Schmidt's telling it exactly as she sees and experiences life.

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Another Photo Essay [Blah, Blah]
The usual rubbish

Voodoo: Mounted by the Gods
Alberto Venzago
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Secrets of Voodoo

ASIN: 3791329839

Book Description

An unprecedented glimpse into the mysterious world of Voodoo, this spellbinding companion to an upcoming documentary produced by Wim Wenders presents photos and film stills by celebrated photojournalist Alberto Venzago.

In 1988, Albert Venzago set out to cross Africa on a Vespa. After miles in the blistering heat, it broke down in a remote village in Benin. There he encountered Mahounon, one of the most influential voodoo priests of West Africa. Abandoning his planned trip, Venzago set out instead on an odyssey through the world of African voodoo, to which he and his camera gained extraordinary access. The result is a groundbreaking new documentary and this accompanying book.

Venzago followed Mahounon with his camera for nearly ten years, filming secret Voodoo ceremonies and sacrificial rituals. He witnessed Mahounon's extraordinary search for a successor to lead the cult, and he watched as the anointed eleven-year old boy was schooled in black and white magic, rituals, and the intricate workings of the Fa, or Voodoo oracle. Venzago's camera evokes the religious ecstasy of these ceremonies as well as their otherworldly atmosphere. His photographs illuminate this mysterious and potent Voodoo culture and religion.

Customer Reviews:

Another Photo Essay [Blah, Blah].......2004-02-06

This book, photographed in Benin, West Africa is a companion to a yet to be released German documentary of the same name. It offers little in the way of knowledge of the Voodoo (Vodou) religion. Mostly a book of photos, it's a little overly "arty." The stupid cover photo aside, the book does have a few interesting black & white photographs, but I wouldn't spend the money to get them, the quality of the printing leaves something to be desired.

In the text there are some snippits of oral tradition that would be worth someone developing. Until then I suggest Herskovitz's Dahomean Narratives.

I'm still waiting for a good volume on West African Vodou...

The usual rubbish.......2004-01-01

Forget it! If you really want to know about voodoo buy Vodou Shaman (Ross Heaven) or Mama Lola (Karen Brown). This book is largely fantasy.

Average customer rating:

A book with moving photographs and interesting essays.

Divine Inspiration: From Benin to Bahia
Joseph Nevadomsky , Norma Rosen , and Zeca Llgiero
Manufacturer: Athelia Henrietta PR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1890157171

Book Description

Photographer Phyllis Galembo was invited to Nigeria in 1985 to document the research of her friend and colleague, Norma Rosen, on the design and use of traditional Edo altars, ritual objects, and ceremonial dress. From this and subsequent journeys comes this collection of spectacular photographs and essays on Nigerian and Brazilian shrines and ritual figures. The first section of this book contains rare photographs of traditional priests and priestesses and the shrine objects they use. Both the essay by Rosen, an ordained Olokun priestess, and Galembo's powerful photographs illuminate some of West Africa's elaborate cultural and religious traditions. The second section explores the Brazilian form of ancient African spiritual religion brought to the New World during the Atlantic slave trade of the sixteenth century. The connection between the Ivory Coast of Africa and the New World has been acknowledged in works on the history, anthropology literature, folklore and music of the two areas, but never has visual documentation of this depth and quality been made available. This books breaks new ground in the study of African Diaspora while it provides powerful photographs that are, above all, a celebration of the senses.

Customer Reviews:

A book with moving photographs and interesting essays........1999-07-07

Divine Inspiration is an unusual coffee table book because the pictures do tell a thousand words, and because the text is helpful and interesting, not just filler. It is a good, respectful introduction to the Yoruba religion and its many offspring in the Americas.

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