En Ya Oko Fara Wa" — A Song of Revenge, Memory, and the Sea

27 Mar 2026 · 2 min

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2:05

The piece is a solo spoken‑lyrical performance in which the speaker calls for vengeance against a metaphorical ship that lured, captured, and killed the speaker’s ancestors—fathers, mothers, and children. Repeating the West‑African phrase “Eya ogo fara wa o,” the speaker weaves maritime imagery—chains, smoke, tide, thunder—to convey grief that transforms into a collective, ocean‑backed demand for justice. The tone is impassioned and mournful, culminating in a rallying cry that the sea itself will side with the oppressed and that the ship’s crimes must be repaid.

Chapters

Avenge the ship that lured us to flog us. Yes, take revenge on the ship that dragged us under. Eya ogo fara wa o. Yes, take revenge on the ship that tricked our fathers. Yes, take revenge on the ship that stole our mothers. Eya ogo fara wa o. I hear chains in the night. I see smoke on the tide. Our grief became thunder. Now the ocean Takes our side. For every back broken, for every child lost, let the tides speak justice. Let the whole taste go. Yes, the ship, it came for us. It called us out to sea as it took our family. Woo!