Brazil Begins Yoruba Teaching on National TV …Celebrates Black Awareness Day

Adeyinka Olaiya, Sao Paulo/

As Yoruba language and culture waxes stronger in Brazil, the country’s most popular television station, TV GLOBO, has introduced the teaching of one of Africa’s leading indigenous languages on its national program.

Otunba Adekunle Aderounmu, Brazil-based Nigerian promoter of Yoruba language, culture, religion and tradition was featured on the program as he gave a comprehensive lecture on how to speak and understand the Yoruba language. He also explained how the Yoruba language has influenced the culture of the Brazilian people, and how many Yoruba words have found their way into the Portuguese language spoken in Brazil.

Dressed in Yoruba traditional attire, Aderounmu has been visiting schools and colleges in Brazil teaching the Yoruba language and culture to youths and adults.

TV GLOBO, the leading television station in Brazil introduced the Yoruba lecture during its popular Saturday program known as “É DE CASA to promote the official language of the African Brazilians.

Apart from Aderonmu, other notable Yoruba men and women have been teaching the language, culture and religion in the Latin American nation. Prof. King, a Yoruba priest and academician is known for his teachings of Ifa and the Yoruba language; Babalawo Najimu and several Yoruba people have made some contributions too.

Lectures, dances, ritual rites, theatre, music, exhibitions and programs relating to the history of the African people have been organized throughout the country in celebration of the emancipation of the African Brazilians since 1888.

Brazil has set aside every November 20 as Black Awareness Day to further the cause of the African-Brazilians. The country remembers the abolition of the cross-Atlantic slave trade in 1888, which brought several millions of the West Africans to Brazil as slaves.

During the holiday, African heroes around the world are celebrated as people pay homages with dances and chants.

In the quest to make Yoruba language and culture interesting to Afro descents, the government of Brazil has been encouraging several of the African sócio-cultural groups in Brazil. It has opened the cultural centres in Sao Paulo for Yoruba programs in Brazil, and the legislative council in Sao Paulo has been receiving lectures from several groups concerning the African traditional religion.

Among the groups promoting the language, culture and religion are Centro Cultural Africano, Oodua Progressive Union, Egbe Omo Oodua, Afrobrasilink and several others.

The organizers of this year’s Black Awareness Day, led by Carnavalesco Raul Diniz, told NewsmakersNG that they intended to promote the Yoruba culture, tradition, religion and language in all Samba schools and colleges to keep Africa alive in Brazil.