beyonce-grammys-27046-True

Beyoncé's Grammy performance
represents goddesses of the world
By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.16.17
Word Count 664
Beyoncé performs at the 59th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 12, 2017. Photo by: Matt
Sayles/Invision/AP
Beyoncé sang at the Grammy Awards show last Sunday night. She wanted to show that
pregnant, working women have a place in society.
Singer Vanessa Williams tweeted that her pregnant belly was not shown when she
performed at the Grammys in 1993. Back then, she wore a billowing black dress to hide
her belly. "Oh how times have changed," Williams added as she praised Beyoncé.
Beyoncé proudly displayed her pregnancy as she performed. Behind her, pre-recorded
images of Beyoncé with her mother, Tina Lawson, and her 5-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy,
flashed across the stage. Grandmother, mother and daughter were dressed in yellow.
Performance Brought A Deeper Message
The lady lovefest lasted nearly 10 minutes. There was a large, female cast, chairs that
tipped backed dangerously, Christian images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, golden flashes
of the African Yoruba religion, and symbols of other religions.
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The song came from her Grammy-nominated album "Lemonade." The grand golden
display was an important part of her music. It was also a part of a deeper message that
Beyoncé was teaching.
"Lemonade" and her pregnancy announcement photos represented African, Hindu and
Roman goddesses and womanhood.
When Beyoncé first appeared Sunday night, she was barefoot and dressed in a gold bikini
with a long, yellow-gold silk drape behind her. It seemed as if she was in water. Similar
photos were in her visual album and announced that she was pregnant.
She looked like a beautiful African water spirit Mami Wata, or Mother Water, Joseph Caputo
wrote in Smithsonian magazine.
"Those who pay tribute to her know her as a 'capitalist' deity because she can bring good
(or bad) fortune in the form of money," he said. Mami Wata was worshiped between the
1400s and 1900s, as Africa became involved with trading around the world.
Water Goddess Of Love And Birth
Beyoncé was also portraying Oshun, a water goddess of love and birth. Oshun is the love
goddess of the Yoruba people, who inhabit Nigeria and the southern part of Benin in
Africa. She is often seen wearing yellow and surrounded by fresh water.
Oshun reigns over the waters of the Osun Sacred Grove in Nigeria. The United Nations has
called this sacred grove an important place in African history. It can be found in a dense
forest near the city of Osogbo.
Worshipers come to the grove to pray. When they ask for a baby, they get a baby. If they
ask for money, they get money.
Beyoncé also appeared as Oshun in "Hold Up," the second song on her album. In that
video, she wears a flowing yellow dress and comes through two large golden doors in a
wave of water.
A Gold Headpiece Represents Kali
Amy Yeboah, a professor of Africana studies at Howard University, explains that Beyoncé
is an orisha who rules the sweet waters of brooks, streams and rivers. She is a spirit and
messenger from Olodumare, the Great God that created heaven and Earth.
Paintings show Oshun draped in yellow and wearing a gold headpiece.
The gold headpiece Beyoncé wears in her Grammy performance is draped with a long silk
cloth over the crown. It flows away from the singer's body and represents the many-armed
Hindu goddess Kali, who is associated with love birth, life and death.
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The flowers on stage were also in her photos that announced she was having twins and
represent Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and birth. These pictures have filled
her personal website, along with lines such as, "Mother has one foot in this world and one
foot in the next, mother black Venus," and "Venus has flooded me."
Her Grammy performance was, in many ways, a blend of the African diaspora, the
spreading of African history around the world, along with her growing motherhood.
Adele, who won the Record of the Year award, gave a speech and praised Beyoncé and
her performance proclaiming, "I adore you, and I want you to be my mommy, all right."
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3

Quiz
1 Read the paragraph from the section "Performance Brought A Deeper Message."
When Beyoncé first appeared Sunday night, she was barefoot and
dressed in a gold bikini with a long, yellow-gold silk drape behind her.
It seemed as if she was in water. Similar photos were in her visual
album and announced that she was pregnant.
What is suggested by the repeated references to "yellow" and "gold" here and throughout the
article?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Beyoncé's ability to earn money from her albums
Beyoncé's desire to blend in with her scenery
Beyoncé's symbolic connection to goddesses
Beyoncé's beautiful voice while performing
2 The article suggests that Beyoncé feels a personal connection to the goddesses she
represented in her performance.
Which of the following selections from the article is the BEST piece of evidence to support that
idea?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
The song came from her Grammy-nominated album "Lemonade." The grand
golden display was an important part of her music. It was also a part of a
deeper message that Beyoncé was teaching.
Beyoncé also appeared as Oshun in "Hold Up," the second song on her
album. In that video, she wears a flowing yellow dress and comes through
two large golden doors in a wave of water.
Amy Yeboah, a professor of Africana studies at Howard University, explains
that Beyoncé is an orisha who rules the sweet waters of brooks, streams and
rivers.
These pictures have filled her personal website, along with lines such as,
"Mother has one foot in this world and one foot in the next, mother black
Venus," and "Venus has flooded me."
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4

3 Read the paragraph from the section "Water Goddess Of Love And Birth."
Oshun reigns over the waters of the Osun Sacred Grove in Nigeria.
The United Nations has called this sacred grove an important place in
African history. It can be found in a dense forest near the city of
Osogbo.
Which word from the paragraph helps you understand the importance of Oshun to those who
worship her?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
reigns
water
sacred
dense
4 Which section of the article highlights the idea that Beyoncé's bold celebration of her
pregnancy made history at the Grammy Awards?
(A) Introduction [paragraphs 1-3]
(B)
(C)
(D)
"Performance Brought A Deeper Message"
"Water Goddess Of Love And Birth"
"A Gold Headpiece Represents Kali"
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5

Answer Key
1 Read the paragraph from the section "Performance Brought A Deeper Message."
When Beyoncé first appeared Sunday night, she was barefoot and
dressed in a gold bikini with a long, yellow-gold silk drape behind her.
It seemed as if she was in water. Similar photos were in her visual
album and announced that she was pregnant.
What is suggested by the repeated references to "yellow" and "gold" here and throughout the
article?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Beyoncé's ability to earn money from her albums
Beyoncé's desire to blend in with her scenery
Beyoncé's symbolic connection to goddesses
Beyoncé's beautiful voice while performing
2 The article suggests that Beyoncé feels a personal connection to the goddesses she
represented in her performance.
Which of the following selections from the article is the BEST piece of evidence to support that
idea?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
The song came from her Grammy-nominated album "Lemonade." The grand
golden display was an important part of her music. It was also a part of a
deeper message that Beyoncé was teaching.
Beyoncé also appeared as Oshun in "Hold Up," the second song on her
album. In that video, she wears a flowing yellow dress and comes through
two large golden doors in a wave of water.
Amy Yeboah, a professor of Africana studies at Howard University, explains
that Beyoncé is an orisha who rules the sweet waters of brooks, streams and
rivers.
These pictures have filled her personal website, along with lines such
as, "Mother has one foot in this world and one foot in the next, mother
black Venus," and "Venus has flooded me."
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6

3 Read the paragraph from the section "Water Goddess Of Love And Birth."
Oshun reigns over the waters of the Osun Sacred Grove in Nigeria.
The United Nations has called this sacred grove an important place in
African history. It can be found in a dense forest near the city of
Osogbo.
Which word from the paragraph helps you understand the importance of Oshun to those who
worship her?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
reigns
water
sacred
dense
4 Which section of the article highlights the idea that Beyoncé's bold celebration of her
pregnancy made history at the Grammy Awards?
(A) Introduction [paragraphs 1-3]
(B)
(C)
(D)
"Performance Brought A Deeper Message"
"Water Goddess Of Love And Birth"
"A Gold Headpiece Represents Kali"
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 7