Track 2: Bara Suwa Yo – A Song for Eṣu (The Beginning)
The first half of this multifaceted song for Eṣu carries a cosmic, ethereal, and otherworldly energy, reflecting the multi-dimensional nature of this powerful Oriṣa. It was essential for this track to stand as a complete and distinct energy on its own.
This song holds many personal and creative firsts for me. Moving from present through past, it is the earliest born among the pieces on this album and marks my first arrangement and composition experiment using Pro Tools back in 2007. Eṣu is one of the very first Oriṣa I learned about in my Afro-Latin Percussion Instruments class in 2003. Encountering this energy was a pivotal moment, awakening me to the ongoing erasure, demonization, and appropriation of African traditions—often fueled by ignorance, entitlement, and savior complexes.
The presence of this song and the space I give it on this album stands in direct contrast to the colonial-influenced beliefs about Eṣu that persist today. Through this work, I aim to reclaim and honor what truly belongs to me and my ancestors, supporting a return to our healed and whole state of being. I love this song. I love Eṣu. And I am deeply grateful for the paths of transformation he has helped me open and close.
This track is my personal arrangement of a series of Afro-Cuban Orisha songs dedicated to Eṣu. I preserved the original lyrics as I learned and remembered them, while taking creative liberties with vocal melodies and harmonies to fit the musical composition. The song alternates between, and sometimes overlaps, traditional and non-traditional instrumentation and rhythms, reflecting a blend of ancestral and contemporary expression.
Though recorded as a single track, it naturally divides into two parts that can each stand alone. Honoring this multidimensionality, I present the song as three expressions: The Beginning, The End, and Complete—a meaningful reflection, since one of Eṣu’s sacred numbers is three.
Track Credits
ONYI LOVE: Vocals, Piano, Shekere, Agogo (Cowbell)
Lazaro Galarraga: Bata
Bobby Wilmore: Bata
Greg Allison: Violin, Viola
JP Maramba: Upright Bass
Simon Carroll: Snare Drum
Tristan de Liège: String Co-Arrangement
Arranged, Composed, and Produced by ONYI LOVE
Recorded, Mixed, and Co-Produced by Bobby Easton at Fuzzy Sound Lab
Mastered by Nic Chaffee at Woodshed Music
Did this track speak to your spirit?
Let’s keep the dialogue going—through music, ritual, healing, or collaboration. Your journey is welcome here.