“Ajuba Akoda, Ajuba Aseda” means “we pay homage to Akoda and Aseda.” In the Yoruba spiritual tradition, it is believed that Akoda and Aseda were the first disciples of Orunmila, the orisa of wisdom.
It is said that Akoda was the first to practice divination. And Aseda taught the elders wisdom. The current Aseda Agbaye (of the world), is the elder that you see in the trailer for this film. He is like a father to me. And I’m proud to say that he thinks of me as his son.
The first time Aseda divined for me, he uttered a few words that changed my life, and sent me on this journey into the unknown. It hasn’t been an easy journey but as I look at how far this film project has come and where Ifa predicts it will go, I’m filled with humility, inspiration and deep reverence for the elders, nature, the ancestors and the high spiritual forces that conspire to bring this visionary film to you.
Without Aseda’s guidance and spiritual support, it would have been near impossible to survive all the challenges I’ve experienced so far working on this film. But with “orisa all things are possible.” And as one Yoruba proverb says: “with 16 elders in the house of wisdom, how can we lose our way?”