Princess Nokia's breathtaking visual for "Brujas" champions the strong and spiritual lineage of women of the African diaspora. In the video she co-directed with Asli Baykal, the 24 year-old New York "aficionado" shows the layers of her Afro-Latina identity as she celebrates mystic women through the lens of the Santería and Yoruba religions. She gives considerable focus to Orishas, deities from the Yoruba religion that are worshipped because of their special characteristics and powers.
The video's first scene shows a group of brown women with curly afros dressed in all-white holding hands in a body water as an indigenous song sung by the divine singer Djali Cepeda Brown plays. In the middle of the circle stands a woman wearing blue and white garments. She appears covered in colors of Yemayá, the gentle, fierce, and maternal Orisha who represents the water.
Later in the video, Nokia plays in the forest with her sisters, gathering to pray, play hand games, and do readings that welcome healing and renewal. The spectrum of witches is celebrated as the women bond over their inner magic and connection to the higher power. It's a proud ode to Nokia's culture, the force of black and brown women, and the richness of the African Diaspora.
Watch the video above and on Princess Nokia's website.
