Beyoncé’s Grammy Gown Inspired By African Spiritual Forces

Beyoncé’s highly talked about Sunday evening Grammy performance gold, sheer sequined and studded gown, with a gold halo like headdress, leaves people wondering where her wardrobe was inspired from. Her attire was an attempted mere replication of the African spiritual Holy Force of love, known as Erzulie Freeda in Haiti, Oshun in Nigeria or Oxúm in Brazil.

From indigenous lands including Haiti, Dominican Republic and different countries of Africa, traditions and faiths have spread across the world from the African Diaspora. From Haiti, originated the Voodoo faith, meaning high and sacred of God, in which they praise one God, Jesus Christ and the Loas. In the Yourba faith, fueled out of Nigeria and the Santeria faith out of the Dominican Republic, they too believe in one God, Jesus Christ and the Orisha. The Loas, Erzulie Freeda, or deities Oshun and Oxúm, is who Beyoncé imitated in her highly praised performance. Whichever name the force is called by from different lands and dialect barriers, she is universally known as the holy force that governs pure love and all matters of the heart. As depicted in pictures and paintings, the holy force is dressed in gold from riches of the earth, beautiful and a bountiful amounts of jewels, pearls, diamonds, and draped across her head is a golden sparkled vail with a decadent halo like crown encapsulated with astounding diamonds and jewels, structured as a star.

While this beautiful force of pure love not only has a heart of gold, but is dressed in it. Erzulie Freeda, Oshun or Oxúm is commonly and unfortunately represented in a lustful and sexual manner. Many will confuse love with sex and it completely distorts the innocence and portrayal of this Godly force. Beyoncé indeed may have tried to replicate and bring forth the beauty of this holy force while still trying to simultaneously incorporate the standard sexual Beyoncé appeal, but it contradicted what the Loa, Deity, Orisha or Holy Force, herself stands for. On that same breath, as people try to pin point exactly what force Beyoncé was portraying, those seeking more into African spirituality often confuse Erzulie Freeda, Oshun or Oxúm, force who governs pure love and the river/waterfalls with Eruzile Dantor or Yemaya, force who governs fertility, stability and the ocean.

In addition to above common misrepresentations, many recognize these Loa’s/Forces/Deities/Orisha, but many of them also confuse them as being gods or goddesses, but they are not. The faiths in which these forces are recognized, are monotheistic and believe in God, Jesus Christ and Holy Forces, however, those forces are commonly confused with the attributed gods and goddess of Greek and Roman mythology.

Beyonce’s Grammy performance gown and headdress has left many people talking, wondering, curious, astonished and amazed. Not only did her wardrobe become a topic of discussion, but her Grammy performance in addition has also opened up a door and given a platform for people to delve and seek more information into African spirituality, the roots of true black history and the origins of our culture.