Anitta Honours Yoruba Deity Exu After Winning First Latin Grammy
Brazilian pop star Anitta paid tribute to Yoruba spirituality on stage after clinching her first-ever Latin Grammy Award.
The singer won in the Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album category at the 27th Latin Grammy Awards, held on Thursday, November 12, in Las Vegas, United States, for her album ‘EQUILIBRIVM’.
It was a milestone moment for Anitta, who secured the award after 12 previous nominations without a win.
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She ended her acceptance speech with the words “Laroye Exu Mojuba”, a traditional salutation to Exu, a deity honoured in Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion deeply rooted in Yoruba spirituality.
Exu is regarded as one of the most important primordial divinities in the Yoruba pantheon, whose worship spread to South America and the Caribbean during the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking in Spanish, Anitta reflected on the significance of the album, describing it as part of a wider movement to preserve Black culture in Brazil.
She noted that for many years, Black culture and African-derived faiths were persecuted in Brazil and could not be openly expressed.
According to her, artists have continued to fight to keep the culture alive, and her album is another voice in that struggle to ensure Black Brazilian culture remains strong.
The 15-track project, released in April 2026, blends Brazilian musical traditions, spirituality, and Anitta’s personal journey of transformation.
