CHIEF MEDAHOCHI KOFI OMOWALE ZANNU
I first met CHIEF MEDAHOCHI in 1970 when I came to Chicago for the first time with BABA ASHAKI who is now CHIEF ADENIBI AJAMU. My name at that time was KIMYA which I had chosen some time ago dabbling in East African Culture.
CHIEF MEDAHOCHI's name at that time was BABA KOFI OMOWALE, and he was living in Gary, Indiana with his Wife MODUPE and Their Children. They were the First Elders I Met in Yoruba Culture. I was Very Impressed with BABA OMOWALE and his wife MODUPE.
I remember one evening visiting BABA OMOWALE, and IYA MODUPE prepared us some African Pepper Stew with Chicken and we stayed up all night with BABA OMOWALE talking about African Culture and Religion. I remember that Pepper Stew that IYA MODUPE made, because it became My Favorite African Dish to make for many years.
One day we came back to visit BABA and he gave me my Yoruba name "AYOBUNMI" and said that I was a child of "SANGO", and my name became AYOBUNMI SANGODE.
Some weeks later BABA ASAKI and I went to visit BABA OMOWALE and IYA MODUPE and BABA talked to us about BABA OSEIJEMAN ADEFUNMI moving to South Carolina to Start Building an AFRICAN VILLAGE in Beaufort County So. Carolina Low Country.
He convinced us to go to So. Carolina to help in the building of this Village.
BABA ASAKI and I went down to So. Carolina in the Spring of 1970, and I met BABA OSEIJEMAN for the First Time. He was living in Sheldon, So. Carolina, Beaufort County with his 2 Wives and their Children and they Welcomed Us to move in with them.
Shortly afterward BABA OMOWALE came down to So. Carol. and brought with him an Elder Sister named IYA AKANKE. They were ther to talk to BABA OSEIJEMAN, who was a Priest of "OBATALA", about Initiating African Americans into ORISA / VODUN Priesthood.
They wanted to get Initiated into the Priesthood, and talked to BABA OSEIJEMAN and his Senior Wife IYA OLUBUNMI, who was a Priestess of "YEMOJA", endlessly trying to convince him and IYA BUNMI to start Initiating.
So, in the Spring of 1970 BABA OMOWALE (SANGODELE), IYA AKANKE (OMILADE), and BABA AKINYELE AWOLOWO (ORISA MOLA) who had come down from N.Y., became the First African-Americans to be Initiated Into The ADEFUNMI RITES Of INITIATION Into ORISA PRIESTHOOD.
Myself (IYA AYOBUNMI SANGODE), BABA ASAKI who is now CHIEF ADENIBI EDUBI IFAMUNYIWA AJAMU, and BABA OSEIJEMAN's Junior Wife MAJILE, who is now IYA MAJILE OSUNBUNMI OLAFEMI, were The Witnesses to these First Initiations and The Beginning of The TRADITIONAL AFRICAN ADEFUNMI RITES of INITIATION.
Four Years and MANY Initiations Later BABA KOFI OMOWALE SANGODELE, a Priest of the ORISA "SANGO", and BABA ADENIBI EDUBI AJAMU a Priest of "OBATALA", Initiated Me in Los Angeles, Calif., to The ORISA "SANGO HEVIOSO AJAKATA", "KAWO KABIYESI", and My New Life as AYOBUNMI SANGOSO SOSI SANGODE.
My Re-Birth into Traditional African Culture and Priesthood, as other African-Americans, is due to These 3 People, OBA OSEIJEMAN ADEFUNMI I "Ibayi Ara T'orun", CHIEF MEDAHOCHI KOFI OMOWALE ZANNU "Ibayi Ara T'orun", and IYA OLUBUMI ADESOJI, who Formed and Began "The TRADITIONAL ADEFUNMI RITES Of INITIATION Into ORISA PRIESTHOOD" in the United States of America.
Over the years my relationship with My Godfather MEDAHOCHI, and NOCHI, as I call her (TANYI OMILADE ZANNU) grew, and MEDAHOCHI would come to California and Visit and Teach Myself and CHIEF AJAMU and our Cultural Community; and we would come to Gary, Indiana, and later Milwaukee, Wisc. to Visit Him and NOCHI.
In recent years I had little contact with MEDAHOCHI, his career had Grown and Expanded So Much, and was Sought All Over The Country for His Knowledge of AFRICAN HISTORY and CULTURE.
But I would call Him and NOCHI ever so often, and say "this is Your Prodigal God-daughter SOSI calling" and NOCHI would laugh with that joyful laugh of Her's, and TOCHI (MEDAHOCHI) would say something laughingly sarcastic, and we would talk about Why they hadn't heard from me in such a long while.
What I will miss Most about MY GOD-FATHER, CHIEF MEDAHOCHI, is His Beautiful Smile and His Wonderful Laughter and Story Telling.
I will miss His Great Spirit and Presence In My Life, and I will Always HONOR HIS MEMORY for Helping Me To Get In Touch with My DAHOMIAN ANCESTRY and DAHOMIAN CULTURE.
"ARIKU BABA T'ORUN"
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