Olabiyi Babalola Yai (1939-2020) was a Yoruba studies expert and polymath who wrote about the Yoruba language and culture, including the concept of ori:
- Yai used the Yoruba language to differentiate between innovations that are in line with norms and those that are not. For example, the verb dá means "to break, to split, to create, to depart". Dá àṣà means "to innovate, to create a new style".
- In the Yoruba religion, ori is a vessel that processes conscious thought. Ifa elders often point to their heart when admonishing someone to think clearly, rather than their head.
- Yai's work was described as an exercise in textural sculpture, with a range and sturdiness similar to mountain rocks or ancient trees. His scholarship was influenced by his knowledge of Euro-American, Lusophonism, and Afro-Brazilian cultures, but he always linked them back to their original African roots.
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/CAGBtzfOayhns%3D5B-sEetJdX%2B1k4KD97WKyGFf_3%2B8mUGDPwonw%40mail.gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment