22577: Mambo Racine Re: 22560: Louisiana Vodou

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com

>
>From: Nathan Bassiouni <sove_ayiti@mac.com>
>
>I am very offended by Mambo Racine's take on Louisiana Vodou!

"The truth always brings offense, but it is not sin."
     -  Jamaican Proverb

>There is no difference between Haitian Vodou & what you have defined as
>Vodou in Louisiana.

That's what you think?  I suggest you visit the following people:

Priestess Miriam, of the New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple

Mambo Sallie Ann Glassman

Ava Kay Jones

Ms. Brandy Kelly, of Voodoo Authentica, a Vodou/Voodoo-related store

Those are four of the best known representatives of contemporary New Orleans Vodou. Two are black, two are white.  All are Americans, all have spent years in the tradition.  At least two of them, Mambo Sallie and Ava Kay Jones, have been to Haiti and had ceremonies of some sort, in addition to their New Orleans Voodoo background.

Every last one of them will tell you that Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo are not the same - how could they be?  The language and the history of the two traditions are different by definition.  For example, in New Orleans Voodoo, not much of an initiatory tradition remains, houses just coalesce around a charismatic individual, male or female.

In New Orleans Voodoo, elements of Santeria, Black Hawk, and other religious traditions appear - for instance many New Orleans Voodoo practitioners venerate the orisha Oshun, who is not served at all in Haitian Vodou.  The drummers of New Orleans do not use the same rhythms or even the same drums as we use in Haiti.  And so on.

Nathan Bassiouni <sove_ayiti@mac.com> personalizes the discussion when he writes:

>>Mambo Racine,  I believe you are the white Mambo from the Chez Rendez
Vous Hotel near the Jacmel airport?

No, honey, I'm the tall grimelle Mambo from Massachusetts, who lives at the Rendez-Vous Guest House in Jacmel.

>> If you are that Mambo, you need to
realize that from our point of view here in SOUTH Louisiana, you
actually practice what you defined as "American Voodoo" because you
profit from ceremonies

LOL!  In that case, every single Houngan and Mambo in Haiti is practicing "American Voodoo", because we all profit from ceremonies.  None of us work for free!

>> and your audience is generally visiting
Americans and Europeans

You are misinformed.  First of all, I do not have an "audience", a religious service is not a performance.  Second, at any dance given at my house, you will find about two hundred people present, of whom perhaps two or three are non-Haitians.  Everyone else is both black and Haitian, as are the twenty-odd full-time initiate members of my house living here in Haiti.

>> Vodou for profit is not Vodou!

OH YES IT IS!

Again (and again and again), all of us work for money. I'd suggest that you have a look at the web page "Money in Vodou" at http://members.aol.com/racine125/money.html

>I have traveled and worked in Jacmel many times and I have not wanted
>to visit the Rendez Vous hotel/temple

The Rendez-Vous is not a hotel/temple, where do you get these ideas?  The Rendez-Vous is a guest house.  My peristyle does not rent out rooms, the Rendez-Vous does not conduct Vodou ceremonies.

> because I could just goto the
>Quarters here and see tourist Vodou rituals and performances.

See what you like in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  At my house we perform correct, ordinary Haitian Vodou ceremonies, just like any other Vodou house in Haiti.


Haitian Vodou is identifiably Haitian in the same manner that Santeria is generally considered Cuban, obeah and Kumina are generally considered Jamaican, and so on.  Haitian Vodou has roots in the religious beliefs of many African ethnic groups, European ethnic groups, Catholic folk piety, the beliefs of Native Caribbean people, it's quite a melange and it is unique to Haiti.

Now, could you please try to stop attacking personalities, and stick to issues?  If you don't want to come to Haitian Vodou ceremonies at our house, you don't have to, but please refrain from making negative comments about them until you have witnessed a few.  Thank you.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare
     Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

(Posting from Jacmel, Haiti)