Collection: Warrior Crew (WC)

Warrior Crew (WC)
 

(The Warriors aka Los Guerreros)
During the reshuffling of African people throughout the slave trade, especially in Cuba -one of the first stops in the Americas, many lineages had no choice but to cooperate with each other in an effort that their own traditions and practices specific to their own villages continue and not die. In short, the cabildos, formed by representatives of each village or lineage, and a list was made of all the tools and practices necessary for their brethren to succeed wherever the slave trade landed them. The outcome was:   Los Guerreros or The Warriors. This crew is comprised of Elegua or Eshu (The Road Opener), Ogun (Lakaye), Ochosi (the Hunter) & Osun (the Watcher).

Each and every initiate in the AfroCuban diaspora will receive Warriors as one of their first steps in the Lucumi tradition either via beads on the neck known as elekes or the actual icons that sit in front of your house. These serve to guide and/or defend you.

In this painting, I chose to represent them as tags on a wall -as the true gangsters that they are!

("Raq Candy -4-7" is my tag name. Cuz I'm gangster, too!)