Brazilian singer Anitta has honoured Yoruba deities on stage after winning her first Latin Grammy Award, using the moment to celebrate African spirituality and Black Brazilian culture.
The singer won the Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album category at the 27th Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday, November 12, in Las Vegas, United States. She received the award for her album EQUILIBRIVM.
Anitta secured her first Latin Grammy after 12 nominations. At the end of her acceptance speech, she said “Laroye Exu Mojuba”, a traditional greeting to Exu, a deity revered in Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion with roots in Yoruba spirituality.
Exu, also known as Esu, is one of the most prominent deities in the Yoruba spiritual tradition. Yoruba religious beliefs spread to South America and the Caribbean during the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking in Spanish, Anitta explained the cultural and religious message behind her winning album. She said the project also represented a fight to preserve Black Brazilian culture, which faced years of persecution.
“…and in Brazil, this album also became a religious and faith revolution because for many years, Black Culture was persecuted in Brazil and its religion, its faith, could never be spoken about publicly,” she said.
She also acknowledged artists’ efforts to keep the culture alive.
“And now for many years, artists have been trying to bring and keep this culture alive. And this album comes to help and be one more voice in that, so that Black Brazilian culture stays strong forever.”
Her closing tribute to Exu reflected the album’s connection to African spirituality and Brazil’s cultural heritage. It also highlighted the influence of Yoruba traditions on Afro-Brazilian religious practices.
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