The seventh annual Rain Festival, organised by Ile Eko Sango/ Osun Mil’osa (IESOM) takes place at the Shrine Gardens, Upper Gasparillo Road (off La Sargesse Road), Santa Cruz, from June 9 to 11.

Ile Eko Sango/Osun Mil’osa is a spiritual community comprising Trinidadians and Tobagonians who have come together to reconstruct our spiritual world view, which helps us to come to terms with our divine self and purpose.

IESOM meets regularly for worship on its holy days, which is every five, nine, 17 and every 91st day when we celebrate our festivals.

IESOM takes an active role in children and adult programmes and as such founded the Osun Abiadama Secondary School in Port-of-Spain. Osun Abiadama is the only Orisha secondary school that teaches Ifa scriptures and African history in T&T.

A release from IESOM states, “the Rain Festival brings people together to celebrate rebirth, commitment, understanding and responsibility in a physical and spiritual sense. Observation of the rain cycle will emphasise the importance and sacredness of the rain.

“The commencement of the rain cycle is an occasion for reflection, thanksgiving, cleansing and preparation. It also signals the annual cultivation of lands and the inundation of the rivers, which brings the necessary alluvial deposits for riverbanks and seashores among many other things.

“The Holy Rain Festival is primarily to ask for the blessings of the deities. The rain is analogous to Sango’s semen; the Earth is considered the womb. The rain or semen impregnates the Earth making it bountiful as it provides water, food, shelter, beauty and happiness.

“The earth’s resources contribute immensely to our national well-being and that of the Universe as a whole. We all eagerly look forward to the coming of the rain, but we must also propitiate the deity so we will not suffer some of the experiences of yester year.”

The release continues, “the objective of this festival is to sensitise the nation about the environment and how we as citizens are fundamental to its existence. The festival also showcases the spiritual world view and theology of our ancestors and how these are related to the environment for daily survival.

“More importantly, over the last six years, this festival has brought together the young people of our nation and the region, of different religious and cultural persuasion in harmony and respect.”

This year’s festival will honour members of the Orisha community, locally, regionally and internationally whose contribution to the Orisha traditions has helped in the furtherance of the spiritual world view and theology of our ancestors.

For further information, please contact Ile Eko Sango/Osun Mil’Osa (IESOM) at 676-3010 or e-mail patwumi2003@yahoo.com

Those who will be honoured are:

Dr Earl Lovelace – Literature (T&T)

Oscar Pyle – Steel Pan Pioneer (T&T)

Bal Orisa Sam Phills – Champion of the Orisa Tradition (T&T)

Lazaro Ros (Posthumously) Oriki Singer (Cuba)

Awo Falokun Fatumbi – Orisa Author (Mexico)

Ishmael “Penco” Best (Posthumously) – Master Drummer (T&T)

L’Antoinette Osun Ide Stein – Orisa Choregrapher/Dancer – Jamaica

http://www.guardian.co.tt/features3.html