I was, as is my wont, looking through Wikipedia’s holidays for today, the 30th of March, when I saw that today is marked as Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day in Trinidad and Tobago. And, how could I not follow that thread, at least a little ways?
Turns out there is a syncretic thing going on in that part of the world birthing in the meeting, perhaps the clash of a type of pentecostal Baptists and Shango, a variation on Yoruba religion. My extremely superficial look at it shows something quite exciting.
However. Of course. This sort of thing was not well received by those who write laws, and in 1917 the colonial authorities in Trinidad and Tobago passed a Shouter Prohibition Ordinance, surpassing the movement. It didn’t work. And finally the Ordinance was repealed on this day in 1951, and later, in 1996 this day has become a full on national holiday.
Again, looking at a few video clips and reading a few articles I can see why. Something real is happening. And authorities get nervous when real things happen. As they should…
The two traditions the Spiritual Baptists and the Yoruba Shango are often just two traditions with flavors of the other, but also sometimes are just one church Shango Baptists, although that straight out full on syncretism seems to continue to annoy lots people.
They have spread to some parts of the Eastern United States. And, I see they have a presence in the Boston area, and only wish I’d known about this earlier.
In any case, blessings on the Spiritual Baptists, may they find the deep truth that births in the dangerous and exciting spaces where traditions meet, and share it with all of us…
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