Papa Legba: The voodoo deity that influenced the CBGB scene
Very few music venues are as iconic as CBGB in New York City. The long-since shutdown venue catalysed the blossoming punk movement of the 1970s, fostering legendary groups like the Ramones, Television, Blondie and Talking Heads, and the hardcore scene of the 1980s. Of course, it was not just the venue itself that led to this type of music, but one unlikely influence comes in the form of the voodoo deity Papa Legba.
In the Haitian religion of Vodou, the deity known as Papa Legba serves as an intermediary between humanity and the spirit world with a strong influence over speech and communication. Originating in the West African region of Benin before finding a home in the Caribbean as a result of enslaved West Africans being taken there to work on plantations, you would be forgiven for assuming that Papa Legba had very little influence over the predominantly white punk scene of the ’70s.
As it turns out, though, the influence of Papa Legba on the CBGB scene has been seen multiple times. First, Talking Heads paid tribute to the spirit on their classic 1986 album True Stories with the track ‘Papa Legba’. Within the song, David Bryne pleads for Legba to “come and open the gate” between the spirits and the living, “We’re your children”, says Bryne to the deity. Although Talking Heads eventually eclipsed the punk scene to become icons of the post-punk and new wave scene, they played their first-ever gig supporting the Ramones at CBGB in 1975.
Another group that played their inaugural show at the East Village venue was fellow New Yorkers Blondie in 1974. Formed by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry, who were performing with The Stilettoes when they met, Blondie used the punk scene as a basis for their new wave, pop-rock style. The Harry-fronted group received a great deal of commercial success and quickly became one of the most iconic groups to arise from that New York scene.
Much like their contemporaries, Talking Heads, Blondie also paid tribute to the Haitian voodoo spirit of Papa Legba. In 1989, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein recorded ‘Invocation to Papa Legba’ for the compilation album Like a Girl, I Want You to Keep Coming. The bizarre track features Harry singing a tribal song in Haitian Creole whilst Stein plays an approximation of Haitian drumming in the background. It is an incredibly interesting track that, if you heard it out of context, you would never guess it was being delivered by one of the most iconic pop stars of the 1970s and ’80s.
Not much is known about the origins of this strange track; the rest of the compilation features big names such as William S. Burroughs, New Order, and even Talking Heads frontman David Bryne. Placed within the context of pop hits like ‘Atomic’ or ‘Call Me’, the Papa Legba-themed number is totally unrecognisable.
It is unclear whether the Blondie pair were asked to perform this song by the label that released the compilation or whether it was their own independent decision. Either way, it is interesting to note that two of the biggest groups to arise from CBGB both released tracks praising the voodoo deity at different points during their careers. The deity is said to strongly influence communication, so perhaps that influence extends to music and, more specifically, new wave music. Stranger things have happened.
