Track 2: Oore Yeye
Element: Water
Symbols / Themes: Oṣun • Reflection • Emotion • Kindness • Ancestral Feminine Power • Language & Lineage • Freedom through Feeling
Story: "Oore Yèyé" is a sonic ritual, a prayer in sound, and a deeply personal offering to Ọṣun, the Yorùbá deity of rivers, beauty, fertility, emotion, and divine feminine force. Rooted in the element of water, this track flows with raw vulnerability, ancestral reverence, and layered cultural bridges between West and North Africa.
The piece began with a beat—Tristan’s original instrumental, sent in late 2020, featured a sample from Gnawa music, a North African spiritual tradition with roots in Kano (Kanawa), Nigeria, historically influenced by Moroccan culture. The rhythmic and melodic tones immediately resonated, especially given Onyi’s synchronicities around North African themes during that time. The fusion of this North/Northwest African influence with Yorùbá lyricism and cosmology created a musical bridge—spanning geography, lineage, and time.
But the track’s emotional heartbeat came unexpectedly. Just before the first recording session, Onyi experienced a wave of deep emotional release while reflecting on a relationship that left her feeling unseen. That vulnerable moment—of tears, of being held in friendship, of surrendering to feeling—became the channel for Ọṣun’s energy to enter. With emotions as water, and reflection as both theme and metaphor, the lyrics and melodies began to emerge.
Drawing upon her studies of the Yorùbá language and diasporic traditions, Onyi layered the song with both familiar invocations and lesser-known praise phrases. She consulted her father, a fluent Yorùbá speaker, to shape accurate translations like:
"Mo ti ri mi" – I have seen myself
"Ṣe o ti ri mi ooo?" – Have you seen me? (with emphasis)
"Iya mi" – My mother, evoking both personal matriarchal lineage and the mystical power of Ìyámi Àjẹ́, the primordial mothers
"Oore Yeye ooo" – A salutation for Ọṣun and her devotees
"Omi gba, omi gbu, omi asan rererere" – A part of an oriki for Ọṣun and water passed down in Onyi’s Ifa lineage, evoking the sound and flow of river water through onomatopoeia
The final name, “Oore Yèyé,” is itself an act of linguistic reverence. After researching and consulting with priests in her Ifa tradition, Onyi learned the traditional spelling of “Ore Yeye” is actually “Oore”, which means kindness. This reframing felt crucial—bringing forward Ọṣun’s compassion and nurturing, often overshadowed in diaspora narratives that focus on her beauty and sensuality. By honoring this deeper facet, Onyi reclaimed and uplifted the softer power of Ọṣun.
Even in its recording and post-production life, the track remained faithful to its purpose. Though initially submitted for a compilation with Tristan’s label, the song was not selected. And while that moment carried a sting of rejection, it also affirmed the track’s need for sovereignty and sacred autonomy.
"Oore Yèyé" is a devotional act of self-witnessing, emotional release, cultural memory, and feminine strength. It honors the fluidity of identity, the necessity of feeling, and the power of choosing both ancestral precision and creative freedom. It is for anyone who has ever longed to be seen—and discovered, in the mirror of divine kindness, that they were already whole.
Track Credits
Written and Performed by ONYI LOVE
Produced, Composed, Written and Arranged by Tristan de Liége
Recorded and Mixed by Tristan de Liége
Mastered by Jodhi Mather-Pike (Cut Your Teeth Audio)
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