In the 16th century, the transatlantic slave trade began. This trade forcibly took many Yoruba people from their homes, families, and homeland to Brazil. Yoruba culture faced the tough times of the slave trade, yet it managed to stay alive among those who were enslaved. 

The journey across the Atlantic known as the Middle Passage was brutal. Chained and confined, they endured a painful voyage, with many not surviving. The conditions on slave ships were inhumane, with overcrowding, disease, and unimaginable suffering so many died at sea before even reaching the shores of Brazil.

Arriving on Brazilian soil, Yoruba people faced a different form of suffering and were thrust into a world of slavery, where they were treated as property and subjected to hard labour on plantations. Stripped of their names and humanity, they became mere commodities in a foreign land. Families were torn apart, and cultural bonds were severed. But amidst the harsh circumstances, the Yoruba spirit was not so easily extinguished. These slaves found ways to maintain their cultural identity and solidarity.

Gathered on plantations and in households, the Yoruba slaves found solace in their shared heritage and clung to their cultural heritage as a means of survival. Through songs, stories, and dances, they maintained a sense of unity and connection to their roots.

Even as they toiled under the scorching sun, they whispered songs of their homeland, carried stories of their ancestors, and danced with a rhythm that echoed the beating heart of Africa.

In their struggle to preserve Yoruba spiritual practices, enslaved people merged their beliefs with Catholicism. This blend gave rise to Candomblé, a hidden spiritual practice that masked their devotion to the Orishas, Yoruba deities. They merged their spiritual beliefs with Catholicism, which served as a façade to continue their worship of the Orishas.

Under the cover of night, in the hidden corners of plantations, Yoruba slaves gathered to perform Candomblé rituals. Candomblé ceremonies became a sacred space for Yoruba slaves to celebrate their traditions in secret. These rituals involved music, dance, and invoking the Orishas. During the religious ceremonies, worshippers dress in the colours of the orixás (white) and place food at the altar before singing special songs and dancing precisely choreographed steps to the sacred drums.

Candomblé became more than just a religious practice; it became their identity. Through it, the Yoruba people reclaimed a piece of themselves in a strange land that could not be taken away. It was a form of resistance against oppression and an affirmation of their humanity in a world that constantly dehumanised them.

Generations passed, and the Yoruba legacy endured. As Brazil evolved, Yoruba culture seeped into the nation's very fabric and Yoruba words found their place in the Portuguese language.

With the end of slavery, Yoruba culture remained deeply rooted in Brazil. The descendants of Yoruba slaves continued to practice Candomblé and maintain cultural connections, although some Yoruba descendants returned to Nigeria, carrying with them the stories of their struggles in Brazil.

Interestingly, Yoruba culture is more practised in Brazil than in Nigeria, where it originated. This shift is due to the introduction of Christianity and Islam by the colonial powers in Nigeria at the time, which resulted in fewer Yoruba Nigerians practising the religion of the Orishas. 

Beyond Brazil and Nigeria, Yoruba traditions have found a place to thrive and flourish. You can find Yorubas and their cultures being practised in various countries around the world. From Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago, from Haiti to the United States, the legacy of Yoruba culture endured.