Black woman visiting Africa breaks into tears as a tribal face painter hums the traditional Zulu song
'Our bodies know our home. We know our melodies... Your cells knew what he was saying.'
There is often a strong connection between a person’s family, tradition, culture, and identity. A woman named Deirdre Amola (@deirdredares) revealed the same when she was traveling and visited a tribal face painter. Something about the experience gave her a deeper understanding of her identity. The man elegantly painted traditional strokes of art on her face and also sang to her as she stood patiently. During that time, she felt an unfathomable yet deep connection, pushing her to embrace and explore more about herself and her culture.
According to the Abundance Therapy Center, traveling allows a person to break free and find peace and serenity. It is also known to assist in self-discovery, and that’s something that Amola took back from her trip. As an avid traveler, she has been soaking in the benefits of traveling. Her vibrant experiences have given her an understanding of life, living, people, and so many cultures. Along the way, she also learned many valuable lessons, and this face-painting session, during one of her trips, only added to it.
During Amola's face painting session, the man was very precise and calm with his work, making the entire experience a soothing one. Along with painting, he also began singing a serene tune. In a comment by @cece_keswa, they translated the lyrics to English, “He’s singing ‘Open up the gates [for her] ancestors and healers, let there be light. Then he continues, ‘Let them all see the light and Africa return to its ancient ways’ in Zulu.” The comment further explained, “Our traditional songs in South Africa are mostly prayers or stories from the past.” As the painter sang, Amola’s emotions slowly began shifting. “I didn’t expect to cry. But something about his voice… the tone, the calm, the truth in it reached somewhere deep in me,” she said.
She closed her eyes and let the man paint her face while she followed his melody. “And by the time he finished painting my face, I was holding back tears… and losing that fight,” she recalled. The video captures her taking deep breaths and frantically opening and closing her eyes to contain herself. “I’ve cried more while traveling than I ever do at home. Not from sadness, but from something cracking open,” Amola wrote.
“A memory. A release. A recognition. A reminder that I am more than the roles I play. This is what travel does when you let it all the way in,” she remarked. Amola mentioned that going beyond music, partying, popular food, and sites, seeing the quiet, more profound parts can be rewarding too. “It’s not always beaches and brunch. Sometimes it’s a ceremony. Sometimes it’s sacred. Sometimes it’s seeing yourself, not as you’ve been, but as you truly are,” she noted.
In conclusion, she honestly said, “That kind of beauty will crack you wide open in the best way.” @honey.dip_ said, “Our bodies know our home. We know our melodies. We know our tones. Your cells knew what he was saying.” @yourspiritualbestie added, “I got chills watching this. I can see you were connecting to something deeper than you understood at the moment.”
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You can follow Deirdre Amola (@deirdredares) on Instagram for more content on traveling and self-discovery.
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