By Sharon Jones
I was so excited to attend this ceremony of honor. I woke up at
four in the morning, eager to be part of this, while most people
were asleep and the world was mostly silent. I made sure that my
phone was charged and ready to go. This meeting was Spanish-
speaking only, so I made sure to set up my computer to dictate
and capture the essence of these moments, honoring the artist
and cultural ambassador Bönaí Capote. I had never heard her
name before this moment. Yet something deeper called me to rise
early — as if an ancestral voice whispered, wake up, this story
belongs to you too.
A Gathering Across Oceans
The event opened with the warm voice of Belén Meha, President
of the Asociación Sociocultural Bubi, whose introduction carried
the calm authority of someone rooted in heritage. She welcomed
us into a celebration of Bönaí’s contributions — a woman who has
shaped artistic, cultural, and social life within the Bubi
community of Equatorial Guinea.
Though we were connected only by screens, the energy was
unmistakably communal. Voices and faces from across continents
appeared — artists, scholars, and admirers — all bound by the
shared rhythm of remembering. The theme, Raíces, Arte y
Legado, helped us to explore the sacredness and flow between
our beginnings and our becoming.
Meeting Bönaí Through Story
As I began to listen to Bönaí‘s journey, my heart felt so honored; I
started to think we had a connection. I understood why she was
being celebrated. Her work moves beyond the ordinary to the
extraordinary. Bönaí has been chosen by the spirit as a vessel for
cultural preservation. Her art keeps her people’s memory alive; it
is protection, safety, and belonging. It reflects the stories, colors,
and rhythms of the Bubi people calling out the power of Spirit that
transcends space and time.
The video tribute was filled with streams of photographs,
testimonies, and music that reminded me of a living altar. Each
voice that spoke about Bönaí carried reverence, honor, and
gratitude.
As I listened to the stories, I noticed how potent her power was as
a woman, an artist, a keeper of hope, light, and heritage and was
amazed at how she transformed history into healing.
The Voices That Formed a Circle
The testimonies brought a sacred circle into being. Each person’s
words felt like a ripple expanding outward — gratitude,
admiration, respect. The act of speaking itself became a
ceremony.
It was a collective act of remembering, an ancestral spirit moving
through language and image. To honor Bönaí was to celebrate
every woman who has carried her people’s memory through the
quiet labor of creativity. I feel like I met myself.
The Symbol of Light
A beautiful highlight of the evening was the presentation of “Luz
de Memoria” — The Light of Memory, a crystal commemorative
piece presented to Bönaí in recognition of her legacy. The
symbolism was beautiful, light revealing what was hidden and
guiding what is yet to come.
When the crystal was lifted into view, I thought of all the invisible
rays of light we inherit from the wisdom of elders, the resilience of
women who create in silence, and the artistry woven into daily
survival. The Light of Memory was not only for Bönaí; it was a
mirror reflecting the shared illumination of everyone present.
The Voice of the Honored
When Bonaí finally spoke, her tone was gentle but assured — the
voice of a woman who understands her life as a bridge between
generations. She thanked her community and her ancestors, her
words flowing like a benediction.
Listening to her, I felt the boundary between past and present
dissolved. The gratitude she received was an ongoing
conversation about love, beauty, art, and ancestry. She is a
reminder that living one’s life with integrity is itself a spiritual act, a
way of keeping history breathing.
The Dawn That Followed
By the time the final applause filled the screen and participants
posed for a collective photo — a digital archive of faces and joy —
the first light of dawn had reached my window. The timing was
poetic. The sun rose as the event closed, and I sat quietly,
understanding that something profound had occurred.
What began as an early-morning login had turned into an
initiation. Just being present at the honoring ceremony and
listening to it brought up stories about my grandmother and made
me realize that, across time zones and languages, I am
connected to art, and the Spirit of my ancestral land.
The Wisdom in the Moment
Here is timeless wisdom:
Our legacy is alive, flowing through every act of creation
and remembrance.
Art is a vessel of ancestry, a translation from memory to
beauty.
Connection is our spiritual inheritance. You do not have
to meet someone to feel their essence as kin.
To honor is to awaken. In recognizing another’s light, you
find your own.
A Light That Endures
When I rose that morning, I thought I was joining a virtual event.
Instead, I was invited into a continuum — a living river of memory
stretching from the island of Bioko to every shore where
descendants still listen for the ancestral “ëlëbó” and “bötutú.” As
the morning sun filled my room, I whispered a quiet prayer of
thanks to Bonaí Capote for embodying the light of memory, to
Belén Meha and the Asociación Sociocultural Bubi for preserving
the story, and to the ancestors who continue to call us back to
ourselves.
The light of memory had crossed the water, and I knew I was
meant to keep it burning.
EriaTv
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