''Kélé'' is an

Afro-Saint Lucian Afro-Saint Lucians or West African-Saint Lucians, are Demographics of Saint Lucia, Saint Lucians whose ancestry lies within the West Africa. As of 2013, people of West African descent are the majority in Saint Lucia, accounting for 82.5% of the ...

religion, originated from the Djiné people of the

Babonneau Babonneau is one of the regions of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. Babonneau is located in the north of the island in the Castries Quarter. There are extensive rain forests in the region, which is an important source of fresh wa ...

region. Its primary deities are

Ogun Ogun or Ogoun (Yoruba: Ògún, Portuguese: Ogum, Gu; also spelled Oggun or Ogou; known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America) is a spirit that appears in several African religions. He attempted to seize the throne after the demise of Obatala, who ...

Shango Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; and as Jakuta or Badé) is an Orisha, a deity in Yoruba religion. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alaafi ...

and

Eshu Èṣù is an Òrìṣà/Irúnmọlẹ̀ in the ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion of the Yoruba people. Èṣù is a prominent primordial Divinity (a delegated Irúnmọlẹ̀ sent by the Olódùmarè) who descended from Ìkọ̀lé Ọ̀run, and the Chie ...

. ''Kélé'' ceremonies include the drumming of the ''tanbou manman'' (''mother drum'') and the ''tanbou ich'' (''child drum'') of the

Batá drum The Batá drum is a double-headed drum shaped like an hourglass with one end larger than the other. The percussion instrument is still used for its original purpose as it is one of the most important drums in the yourba land and used for trad ...

family. The religion has its origins in African slaves of the

region. The religion is strongly connected to the

festival in Nigeria. Repressed by the Roman Catholic church until the early 1960s, it had been practiced in secrecy underground. The ritual includes the display of smooth stones (one of Shango's worship items) and iron or steel items in honor of Ogun. The faith itself is believed to be a Saint Lucian version of

Yoruba religion The Yoruba religion (Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), or Isese, comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in present-day Southwestern Nigeria, which comprises the majority of Oyo, Og ...

Name

The name ''Kélé'' comes from the word ''ikele'', which refers to white beads worn by Yoruba Shango devotees in Nigeria. The religion is also sometimes referred to as "Chango."

History

''Kélé'' was introduced to Saint Lucia by enslaved Yoruba speakers. It was banned by colonial authorities in Saint Lucia.

References

Afro-American religion Afro-Caribbean culture Religion in Saint Lucia {{SaintLucia-stub